Until You Love Me
by Vortex82
Summary: He's Natsu's biggest fan. He knows everything about her. He knows her birthday and her favourite food. He knows where she lives.
1. Not Far

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing for the duration.

Inspired by the line "I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me" from Paparazzi by Lady Gaga, which I actually found quite disturbing, and something of an experiment with something new – reviews and constructive criticism would be very much appreciated. Thank you for reading :)

**Not Far  
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It was a cold and wretched night, wrapped in a cloying silence with shadows that seemed to stretch on forever. Even the moon had abandoned the world below behind a slab of cloud. Everything was muted and grey except for the glaring spots of yellow light thrown down by street lamps. Things seemed to shift and watch in the dark places, and movement flickered half-seen at the corner of her vision as the young actress stepped out in to the blackness.

An icy breeze whispered through the air, teasing her hair and ghosting across her skin like a spider's touch. She shuddered at the chill caress. It almost hurt to breath and she exhaled in vaporous plumes that were instantly stolen away by the wind. In daylight the lingering menace had not been there, it was just her imagination running wild. She pulled her scarf tighter, hugged her coat more closely around her thin frame, and began to walk. Her footsteps thundered in the eerie stillness.

It wasn't far. The casting meeting had gone on longer than she had ever thought possible, and so she'd missed the last public transport available, but she lived close enough to walk. The director had kept her back for a talk, so she was now alone, but that was alright. She didn't have enough money for a taxi and she'd feel silly ringing anyone to ask for a lift. It was only half a mile. It wasn't far.

Something moved as she passed an alley and her throat constricted. A faint squeak quelled her scream and she laughed at her own jumpiness. It was just a mouse. Her laughter was a lonely sound, obscene and misplaced, and soon trailed off into nothing. She licked her lips before resuming her walk at a faster pace.

Her gaze flicked back and forth, jumping to inspect every fluttering paper, cat and swaying sign, her body clenching with every horrific sight that turned out harmless. She was so focussed on what her eyes took in that she almost missed the sound.

The heels she wore for the casting meeting, the best she owned, made a clacking sound. Buried and masked beneath the clacks, barely audible, was another set of footsteps. Heavier, lower and perfectly in time with her own.

Her muscles tightened and a tingling dread blossomed throughout her entire body. She increased her pace and shivered as the footsteps changed to match. Wasn't it just an echo or something? Surely it was just her imagination, there was no one behind her really. She was just scaring herself with her own footfalls sounding strange to her ears. Her mind was ready to accept the rationalisation, but her heart continued to beat like a firing piston.

There was only one way to find out. Her knuckles turned white as gripped her bag-strap. She had to turn around and look. It was such a simple thing, just a glance over the shoulder to confirm the street behind her was empty, but the idea made her shiver so hard she nearly lost her footing.

It took six paces for her to work up the courage. She stopped dead. There was no sound. She almost breathed a sigh of relief that no fumbling footsteps reached her ears and turning around became just a little easier.

Sight had misled her and sound alerted her. Both had distracted her into ignoring every other sense. Though, even if she had registered the increasingly strong scent of aftershave or that the cold breeze at the back of her neck had turned into warm human breath, it would still probably have been too late.


	2. Sending A Message

**Sending A Message  
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The morning sun leaked in through the gap in the curtains and crept slowly towards Kyoko's sleeping form. She frowned in her sleep a moment as it crested her nose and reached her eyes, then woke with an almighty yawn.

Sitting up, she blinked away the usual morning grogginess and experienced only a moment of disorientation when she found herself in Ren's guest room. Blinking in slight confusion at finding herself there, she thought back on the previous evening and decided she must have fallen asleep and Ren had carried her there. A little smile crept over her lips without permission, and she quickly shook it off, scolding herself for being an inconvenience.

For once she had come over by Ren's invitation to celebrate the completion of a story arc in Box-R. She had only mentioned once how excited she was over such a trivial matter, but apparently he had remembered. He had banned her from the kitchen and treated her to take out – Kyoko was still suspicious whether this was because he didn't want her to have to cook her own celebration meal or because he knew she'd chastise him for his barren refrigerator.

They had eaten – the quality of the take-out had pleasantly surprised her – then settled on the couch to watch Box-R. She remembered being full and sleepy, but only about half of the episode. She flushed at the thought of him carrying her to the guest room then blinked and slapped a panicky hand to her cheek.

"I'm just embarrassed to have caused him trouble." she said firmly to herself, willing the warmth to fade. "I really do impose too much on his kindness."

Deciding that the least she could do was make breakfast, she got up and made her way to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and sighed, finding her answer to last night's question, and did what she could with what little was available. She would have brought some groceries with her if staying over had been a planned event.

It wasn't long until she felt someone watching her and turned to find Ren leaning against the counter, regarding her with a soft sort of look that put her in danger of burning things. She didn't quite understand the emotions swirling in his eyes, but recently he had been turning that gaze on her more and more often and it triggered some sort of unconscious survival instinct to run away even if she didn't quite know why.

"Ah, good morning Tsuruga-san." she said finally, backing away a step and bowing. "I'm very sorry to have imposed on you last night. Did I wake you?"

"Good morning." he said, his voice matching his expression. "You're no trouble at all, really, and you did but not unpleasantly. I woke up with something amazing in my kitchen so I had to investigate."

Kyoko fumbled the knife she was holding, nearly impaled her own left foot. She opened her mouth, but nothing coherent seemed willing to come out.

Ren sighed and looked away for a moment before meeting her eyes again, his a little more guarded now. "Whatever you're making, it smells amazing."

"Oh! Thank you, it'll be ready soon so please sit down." she said, feeling silly as she retrieved the knife and washed it.

He nodded and retreated to wait in the living room until she set the meal on the table. He accepted the mug of coffee she brought next, looking unusually thrilled with a domestic banality, and began eating with a contented smile.

Kyoko wondered briefly what could have prompted his good mood, before deciding it didn't matter as long as he was happy and not angry at her. Realising what she had just thought and the tender feelings that went with it, she choked on a pickled radish.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes! I just thought something outrageous is all."

"I... see." he said in a mixture of concern and amusement. "Are you due at LME this morning – I can give you a lift in?"

"Yes, but please don't worry, I couldn't trouble you like that. I need to head home to clean up and change first anyway."

"You're welcome to use my bathroom, you know." he said with a chuckle. "And you look perfectly fine to me."

"Thank you, but I really should change my clothes – what if they smell? How could I ever apologise to Moko-san?" she said somewhat frantically. In truth she was more concerned about obtaining a clean pair of underwear, but she would rather suffer the same pair for a month than explain it to him.

Ren chewed speculatively on a piece of grilled fish. "Hmm. Perhaps it would be a good idea if you kept a few things here for occasions such as this." he said largely to a potted plant in the corner of the room, but darted her a few glances from the corner of his eye.

The prospect of keeping emergency knickers at Ren's apartment was just not something Kyoko was equipped to cope with this early in the morning. She was too bewildered to know what variety of pickled vegetable got lodged in her throat this time but she ended up having to swallow with all her might to clear it.

"You're far too kind, Tsuruga-san! I couldn't possibly clutter up your place with my things, what if you had other guests over?"

The pot-plant was subjected to a sour look before he turned to face her. He didn't hit her with one of his gentlemanly smiles, but it was close. "I honestly don't invite company over much and a drawer or two with a little space in the wardrobe would hardly be extravagant. I can't let you walk anywhere in this cold snap with just a light jacket, so I'll drive you home and wait for you to change, then we'll pick up Yashiro and go to LME – in future it would be less trouble for you to keep a few things here."

His logic was faulty as far as she was concerned but his tone was so convincing she found herself nodding in agreement.

His grinned hugely for just a second before settling in to a look of mild serenity. "Good." he said so softly she almost didn't hear.

* * *

><p>Kyoko had learned many things about acting from her lessons, though regrettably how to become one with the upholstery of a Porsche was not one of them. Ren was not quite angry, but he clearly wasn't happy either. She was fairly sure these feelings were directed at Yashiro, but she had decided it would probably be best not to draw attention to herself – all Yashiro had done to earn his animosity was greet them both and ask if Ren had enjoyed his breakfast with a broad grin. Who knew what she might do to upset him without meaning to?<p>

After a few minutes of silence, Yashiro opened his mouth the say something but Ren cut him off by diving for the radio.

"I'd just like to check the traffic report quickly if that's alright with you both?" Ren asked, though it sounded more like a dare than a question.

Kyoko shook her head and Yashiro snorted as the voice of a newscaster filled the car, delivering the last piece of news before the weather and traffic reports.

"_...And finally, a young actress was brutally assaulted on her way home last night. Hiyama Atsuko was found battered in an alleyway during the early hours of this morning after her attacker left her there unconscious a suspected three hours previously. She was rushed to hospital and initial reports indicate she received three fractured ribs, broken nose, a dislocated elbow and extensive soft tissue damage. The authorities have stated they are appalled and concerned by the violence of the attack and have issued a warning for people to avoid walking alone at night until the criminal is apprehended..."_

Kyoko winced. She only knew Hiyama Atsuko from seeing her on a talk show once – she had made a few derogatory remarks about one of her characters that had made Kyoko vaguely dislike her, but she wouldn't wish that on anyone. She sent a silent prayer that the girl would recover quickly as the weatherman came on to express his displeasure that the recent unseasonal cold would continue for a while. The traffic report came and went, followed by something that made her nauseous.

"Switch stations!" she cried as Fuwa Sho's latest song filled the car, but Ren was already reaching for the off button. The resulting silence lasted for the rest of the journey and until they entered the LME building, at which point Kyoko was accosted by a receptionist and sent straight to the president's office. On the basis they had a meeting scheduled with Lory in twenty minutes anyway, Ren and Yashiro accompanied her.

"I wonder if I did something wrong." Kyoko fretted in the elevator. Her concern was not soothed when the door opened and they were met with two uniformed police officers.

"Mogami Kyoko? Please come this way, the inspector is waiting in Takarada-san's office."

Kyoko wrung her hands and complied, thankful that Ren and Yashiro remained only a step behind even if it was just to sate their curiosity. She stepped in cautiously, half-expecting to be handcuffed at any moment, and found Lory sitting with two men in suits.

The first was a younger man with polished shoes and a perfectly knotted tie. He stood up as she walked in but was clearly distracted by the president's current wardrobe. Apparently he was not used to associating with pirate captains. Or their parrots.

The second was older and judging by the mild amusement in his eyes had seen a lot more strange things in his life than his colleague, and was in general more scuffed and stubbly.

Both men offered her a clipped greeting and motioned for her to sit. After a brief assurance from Lory, Yashiro was also invited – Ren had already taken a seat and looked unwilling to vacate it.

"This is Inspector Satoshi and Lieutenant Tanaka." Lory introduced, pointing first to the more rumpled man then to the smarter.

"Mogami-san, we wish to speak to you about an incident that occurred last night. You may have heard, an actress was attacked?"

"Yes sir, I heard it on the news. It sounded horrible."

Satoshi nodded grimly. "Indeed. I understand that the victim was recently on a talk show, during which she referred to a character you portray as, excuse my language, 'a bit of a slut'. Is this correct?"

"Yes sir – a friend told me about it so I looked it up and watched it on a computer here."

"And this character is called 'Natsu'?"

"Yes sir."

"Did what she say about you upset you?"

Kyoko was starting to panic over where this conversation was leading. "Um, a little – I thought it was uncalled for. But she said Natsu was a – one of those – not me, so I wasn't really all that upset."

Ren leaned forward but was silenced by a wave of the president's hand before he could speak. "Excuse me Inspector, but may I ask why you are questioning Mogami-kun about this incident? Surely you don't believe she is in some way connected?"

"We believe so, indirectly at least." Satoshi said, making Kyoko flinch. He reached into his pocket and took out a small slip of crumpled paper contained within a clear plastic bag. It looked thicker than printer paper, more like a flimsy business card, and was coloured a strange marbled red. "We found this jammed in her mouth. I apologise for the blood, we removed as much as possible to make the writing legible."

Kyoko nearly snatched her hand back at these words, but forced herself to take the grisly offering. Her vision swam as she tried not to balk at the bloodstains, easily identifiable at close range, and turned it over.

Suddenly everything snapped sharply in to focus. The letters were written in angry block capitals and the words they formed caused bile to rise at the back of her throat. The implications sent a flood of cold through her system. She closed her eyes, but the words would not be so easily dismissed:

NATSU IS NO SLUT!


	3. Roses Are Red

**Roses Are Red**

Kyoko barely noticed as the inspector leaned forward and gently took the paper back. She heard the sound of the plastic sliding between her fingers but was too numb to feel it. The inspector called her name sharply, his voice hitting her like a physical blow and her head snapped up reflexively.

"Sorry, what?"

He smiled patiently, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I said we believe this crime was committed by an unstable fan. Hiyama-san has not yet regained consciousness and all we have to go on at the moment is the doctor's analysis of the angle of the blows and such. We can't rule out either gender, though it's most likely a male, tall and physically strong. Do you remember meeting a fan like that recently?"

Kyoko shook her head slowly. "I don't have any fans."

"I'm very much afraid you have at least one, Mogami-san." Inspector Satoshi said with a wry twist of his lips.

"Do you really think someone could have done something like this because of me?" she asked, hands clasped and desperately wanting the answer to be no.

"Yes." Satoshi said mercilessly. "But you mustn't blame yourself for the actions of others. I'm sorry to have asked so many difficult questions, but we have to follow every possible avenue of investigation. Please take extra care until this man is caught."

"Yes sir, I will. Um, is Hiyama-san going to be alright?"

"I'm told she should make a full recovery, but it won't be quick. Here's my card; don't hesitate to call if you come across any new information that could help. Even if it seems silly or too trivial to mention, I want to know."

She took the card distractedly and put it away in her bag. She tried to stand as the two officers made to take their leave but her legs mutinied halfway through the procedure and she would have fallen in a rubbery heap if not for a strong arm snaking around her waist.

"Careful, you've had a shock." Ren said gently, pulling her back against his chest. "Here, sit down for a while." he added, tightening his hold briefly before letting his arm drop to take her hand instead and tried to guide her to the nearest seat.

She smiled at his concern but stepped away to stand on her own, willing her muscles in to a more rigid state. "I'm fine, really. I can't just fall to pieces and rely on you every time something bad happens." she said, stretching her smile until her face hurt in an effort to instil confidence.

Ren sighed and looked like he wanted to reply but a loud cough distracted them both from further discussion. Kyoko turned to find the inspector regarding her with a raised brow and a trace of a wry smile.

"Thank you for your time, Mogami-san." Satoshi said once he had her full attention. "Be careful, and be sure to call if anything relating to this case happens."

Kyoko nodded and bowed a farewell as he and his lieutenant left the office. The latter had not uttered a word, she belatedly realised, but had scribbled on his notepad throughout the entire interview. The squawk of a parrot startled her from her musings.

"You're leaving early today so Ren will be unable to take you home. I'll arrange a driver for you. I would do that much for anyone in LME unlucky enough to find themselves in this situation so do not feel you are being a bother. I want you to promise me that you will not travel anywhere alone until this case is resolved." the president said, his voice and face so serious despite his attire that she agreed automatically.

"I'll give you a ride in tomorrow morning." Ren's tone brokered no disagreement and Kyoko found herself unable to even try as she met his gaze. He took a pace closer, hovering just on the edge of invading her personal space and hesitantly reached out to give her arm a quick squeeze. "I know you don't want to be a burden, but please indulge me. Call me when you get home, I'll only worry if you don't and that might affect my work."

"Okay." she murmured and he gave her arm another squeeze.

Yashiro appeared beside them, prompting both to take a step away from each other. "Sorry Ren, we're going to be late for your shoot if we don't get going." He really did look apologetic.

"Ah! I'm late for Sawara-san!" Kyoko cried as she noted the time. "Thank you very much!" she called over her shoulder to the president as she bolted from his office.

* * *

><p>After four hours of chaperoning an excitable idol, Kyoko was finally able to leave for the day. The Okami-san of the Darumaya had asked her to help out during the afternoon rush today and Kyoko had not even thought to refuse as the kindly soul rarely asked anything of her.<p>

She had a few trepidations about what sort of transport the president might provide her, but she had come to the conclusion that she should not be ungracious and would be happy with anything that was not pink, gold or longer than thirty feet. He had sent her the license plate number, but nothing more and she couldn't help but remain dubious until she'd seen it.

If she ever got away from Sanada Ryuma she could look for herself and end her misery. The idol was very limpid-like and found everything fascinating, not least of all Kyoko. He professed to be an avid watcher of Dark Moon and Box-R and seemed to find it amazing she had played roles in both.

He was a usual sort of idol, tall and lean with a handsome face and hair straight out of a shampoo commercial. He had explained to her in great detail how he had recently moved to Tokyo and LME after enjoying huge success in his hometown of Sapporo, Hokkaido. His manager would not be joining him until later in the afternoon, and he was thrilled to have Kyoko assigned to look after him on his first day as a temporary stand in.

Four hours was a long time in his company, and he seemed determined to extend it as long as possible even after his manager arrived. In the end she had to use a very childish diversion tactic that she was surprised had worked and made a run for it.

While she was surprised that "look, an elephant!" had caused anyone over the age of six to whirl around and search frantically, she was truly shocked at the car she found waiting for her outside. It was a blue Honda Civic with a reasonably sized exhaust and no flames up the side – it was normal. She got in, sending a silent thank you to the president and a verbal one to her driver, and spent the ride home reading through the latest Box-R script.

She heard the driver pull away after she had entered the restaurant and closed the door behind her then nearly tripped over a suitcase in the entranceway. She took off her shoes, confused at its presence, and went in search of her landlords. They were located in the kitchen and she greeted them politely.

"Ah, Kyoko, I'm glad you made it in time." Okami-san said, smiling, while her husband sat at the table in as masculine a sulk as Kyoko had ever seen.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I got held up a bit."

"No, that's fine dear, I just didn't want to have to leave without saying goodbye."

Kyoko's suitcase-induced confusion deepened. Then she remembered. "Oh! Yes, of course."

Okami-san's sister had recently become a grandmother, and they were going to visit while the mother and newborn would be there. She remembered Okami-san mentioning an overnight visit and needing her to help in the restaurant but had somehow not connected the two events.

Her stomach fluttered a little at the prospect of being alone in the house all night but she pushed the feeling aside. The locks were secure and the place became a fortress after closing. Normally she wouldn't be bothered at all, but today a tingle of unease remained.

"I hope you find your family well and that you have an enjoyable visit."

"Thank you dear." Okami-san said happily, ignoring the face her husband pulled – clearly he would rather stay in his restaurant than deal with a baby but refused do something unmanly like admit it. "Nagisada-san is already working and the new girl's shift won't end for another hour before you'll need to take over."

Kyoko smiled at the mention of Nagisada-san. He was a retired master and an old friend of Taisho-san who chose to help out during busy periods in the year or on rare occasions such as this. He was flashy and liked to show off and his antics amused Kyoko as much as they made Taisho-san grimace at the abuse of his cutlery.

"Oh! The taxi's here." Okami-san said as a car horn beeped outside. Taisho-san didn't take the news well and shuffled off to take the suitcase out after favouring Kyoko with a stout nod.

"He'll enjoy himself once he's there, he's a lot gentler than he seems." Okami-san said with a fond look at her husband's retreating form. "Thank you for this dear, I haven't seen my sister for a long time even though we live in the same city. Ah! I almost forgot, I meant to tell you this morning but you were in such a rush – too much of a rush to notice it then I'm sure. I left a little surprise in your room last night, I think you'll like it."

"You shouldn't have!" Kyoko beamed, anticipation flooding through her.

"No, I-" Another honk from outside cut her off. "It seems I'm keeping them waiting – good bye dear."

Kyoko went to wave them off, then bolted upstairs to investigate her room. The surprise was found on the dresser, and she had indeed completely missed it this morning during her frantic stop to change clothes. It was the sort of thing she could never miss unless she was in a mad dash knowing she was keeping Tsuruga-san waiting.

She approached the single red rose, held elegantly in a thin, creamy vase, and smiled at Okami-san's thoughtfulness. It wasn't as big as Queen Rosa of course, but it was lovely and had enough fairy tale quality to please Kyoko.

She reached out and gently grasped the stem to hold the flower in place so she could take a sniff, but ended up yelping and snatching her hand back. She blinked as a spot of blood welled on her finger and she shook her head as she found the rose still had all its thorns attached. Ah well, it was the thought that counted.

Sucking on her abused finger, she went off in search of a plaster and the rose was largely forgotten in her hurry to get ready before she took on Okami-san's usual role.

It was a busy evening, and Kyoko barely had a moment's respite from the moment she relieved the new girl the Darumaya couple had hired until she bid the last guests good night. She finally sat down some hours later with sore feet and an aching face from all the demure smiling.

Nagisada-san helped her clear up and departed, leaving Kyoko on her own. She methodically checked every door and window on every level before feeling sufficiently safe to take a bath. Just as she was getting out after a blissfully long soak, she realised she hadn't called Tsuruga-san yet. With one towel wrapped around her and another rubbing at her hair, she wandered back to her room and debated.

She had sent him a quick message earlier to confirm she had made it home alive, but he had replied and to say he was glad and specifically asked her to call when she could, no matter how late. She picked up her phone and chewed on her lip a moment before taking a deep breath and dialling his number. He picked up after a single ring.

"_Mogami-san, I'm glad you called."_

He sounded so relieved it made her toy with the corner of her towel. "Sorry it's so late, I hope I didn't wake you."

"_No, I was just looking through a magazine. I take it you were busy tonight?"_

"Yes, it was so hectic I don't know how Okami-san does it every day! She must be enjoying the break."

"_Oh? Was she ill tonight?"_

"Ah... no... actually, she and Taisho-san are away visiting her sister."

"_You're not alone there are you?"_

"Yes. But I made sure to lock all the doors and windows. It's just one night and I've lived away from home long enough to know how to be careful so I'm sure it'll be fine." she said, both warmed by and resentful of his concerned tone. "I'd forgotten all about it until I got back today and found them just leaving. There was nothing I could do so I thought I'd make the most of it. I couldn't ask Okami-san not to go when she bought me such a lovely gift."

She smiled as her eyes drifted over to the dresser. The smile faded slowly to be replaced with a thoughtful frown – she couldn't quite identify it, but something was out of place. It was the sort of inanity that would gnaw at her until she worked out what it was.

"_Still... I'm not sure it's sensible to be alone after that attack, not in light of that note."_

"I won't step foot outside or unlock anything until morning, I promise." she said distractedly, narrowing her eyes at the dresser. Was it the hairbrush? No it always sat there. Maybe she'd knocked something off this morning when she had been thrashing about. She stood and approached the infuriating piece of furniture to take a closer look.

"_Just be careful then. I'll hold you to your promise."_

His resigned voice registered in her brain, but she was too focussed on glaring at the flat top of her dresser to really pay attention.

"I will, really." she muttered, then realised some of her frustration had crept in and winced. "Is it still okay for you to give me a lift in tomorrow morning?" she asked in a more appropriate tone as she tried to give Ren the attention he deserved. Her eyes kept flicking down though despite her best efforts. It truly was annoying.

"_Of course. Would seven-thirty be alright?"_

"That would be perfect!" Kyoko grinned, though largely because she had just spotted something gold and squiggly half-tucked behind the vase.

On closer examination it turned out to be a rectangular piece of decorated card, not visible from most angles. She hadn't noticed it before, but then she knew who the rose was from so hadn't thought to look for a card. She picked it up and gazed lovingly at the fancy golden border – it looked like an invitation to Cinderella's wedding ball and she almost laughed at how well Okami-san knew what she liked. There was no writing on this side but just as she was about to turn the card over, she realised that something else was more obviously out of place. Her single red rose was now a pair.


	4. Alone?

**Alone?**

Kyoko stared at the vase and the two roses it contained. From the moment she had realised that 'it' was now 'them' everything else had fallen away. Her ears shut down, her body turned numb and her mind churned slowly, unable to process their existence in her room.

"How did the other one get there..." Kyoko asked aloud, her voice heavy with a fearful sort of confusion.

An explosion of sound punched through her spellbound state, jumpstarting her brain and making her yelp. She realised the sound was Ren shouting through the phone and forced herself back to full attention.

"Y-yes, I'm here Tsuruga-san."

"_Are you alright? What happened – what did you mean by 'the other one'?"_

His commanding tone anchored her. "Okami-san got me a rose – it was in a vase in my room, I saw it clearly before I went down to work in the restaurant. I'm looking at the same vase right now, but there's two. Oh! There was a card too – I don't know whether that was there earlier or not."

She lifted the card and turned it over. She was relieved to find an elegantly scrawling script instead of the angry block capitals she was half-expecting, but the message they formed left her far from reassured.

_**One girl alone could dare assume,**_

_**More beauty than a rose in bloom.**_

_**And as that girl is so adorned,**_

_**I'll send twelve roses with their thorns,**_

_**To my love, my own dear Natsu.**_

Her voice shook as she read it aloud to Ren. "I... I don't think it was from Okami-san after all." Kyoko said weakly. "He was in my room."

Her eyes widened, bulging from their sockets and she clapped a hand over her mouth. What if he was still in the house? She had checked the doors and windows were all locked, but she hadn't investigated the possibility of someone already being inside with her. There were so many hiding places. With the wave of panic that surged through her at this thought, a scratching sound assaulted her from the left.

She screamed.

Grabbing the first thing she could reach, she whirled and raised her improvised club over her head ready to bring it down with every bit of terrified strength she possessed. Moggles, the tabby from over the road, hissed at her through the window and disappeared in to the darkness, his claws scraping just as much on the way down as they had on the way up.

Kyoko let out a little nervous laugh and lowered her weapon. She registered she was holding it in her right hand and a spear of trepidation impaled her chest. She looked down and found her phone lying on the floor in two pieces.

"Oh no." she whispered to herself and dropped to her knees to collect the two halves with shuddering fingers. "I've had enough of one thing becoming two."

Warmth tingled through her numb body, burning away the coldness in an instant, and it was not a pleasant feeling. The battery was nowhere in sight. After a frantic search she placed the useless lumps of casing on top of the dresser and reclaimed her club of convenience. She looked down at the object in her hands and swallowed hard.

"I just killed my phone, but it's alright. I have a curling iron." she said sarcastically and ran a hand through her hair. It wasn't even hot. "Okay, think. Clothes. I need clothes. I need my phone. I need something capable of inflicting more damage than a bad perm. Okay. Just stay calm."

She threw on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and faced her door. She licked her lips and adjusted her sweaty grip on the curling iron. She had to get downstairs. Upstairs she was trapped with no substantial doors to hide behind and nothing useful to defend herself with. Downstairs had knives and doors to the outside. There were places to run to, access to people.

Downstairs also had a land-line but without her phone's memory she didn't know the numbers of anyone she might call. She fought to get her constricted lungs to accommodate a deep breath. Ren was on his way. He'd be here in twenty minutes. She had faith he was on his way. Kyoko was honestly surprised to find how much she truly believed that.

With a jolt she recalled the inspector giving her his card and ransacked her bag. She now had someone to call, but that didn't comfort her greatly. She still had to make it downstairs. She steeled herself and opened her door.

The dark and empty corridor greeted her and she cursed her electricity saving habits. She crept forward, having to go slowly to allow for her trembling legs. A floorboard creaked beneath her weight and she winced at the sound.

The stairwell materialised from the gloom at the end of the corridor and her legs regained some vigour. She reached the top step and peered down the long and narrow space, a feeling of claustrophobia engulfing her. She took the stairs one by one, her heart pounding harder and faster with every step because it brought her closer to the bottom. Her vision was restricted and she'd have no idea what might be lurking just out of sight until she was mere inches from it.

She reached the bottom, the inky silence pressing on her like a physical force. Nothing awful happened, and after a few seconds had passed she thought to scramble for the light switch. She gasped in a breath as the lights flared in to life, blinding in their intensity and she forced her eyes in to squinting obedience.

Nothing sinister presented itself. She resumed her journey, pulse racing with every corner and alcove she passed until she was in the kitchen. Reaching for the nearest cleaver, she abandoned her curling iron and moved to the phone. The weight of the sharpened blade was comforting in her hand but her fingers still shook as she dialled the number on the card.

It seemed to ring forever. Then just when she was about to hang up a sleepy voice was demanding to know who she was and what she wanted. She explained as quickly as possible, though was certain she had babbled a fair bit, and couldn't force her voice above a hoarse whisper. He hung up, telling her he was on his way.

Kyoko moved stiffly to sit at the table where she had her back to a corner and a clear view of every entrance and exit. She considered running out in to the night, but she wasn't sure what was out there. At least in here she would see if someone came at her and the door to the outside was close enough to bolt through if needed. She laid the cleaver on the surface in front of her and rubbed her damp palms on her thighs.

"It's okay. You've got half of Tokyo out of bed and rushing to your rescue so there's nothing to worry about. They'll be here soon. Tsuruga-san will be here soon."

She wished she had thought to bring Corn, but the stone was back in her room and there was no way she was making that journey again. Instead she pretended, and whispered her mantra to a fist clenched around nothing.

She sat alone with the quiet ticking of the wall clock and the rushing of her own blood in her ears as her only company. Adrenaline and unease fermented within her, keeping her painfully alert as the time dragged on.

A cannonade of bangs reverberated in the silence and Kyoko leapt to her feet in shock. The back door was jumping with every bang and a familiar voice was shouting her name. She nearly wept as she threw the cleaver back on the table and ran to open it.

"Tsuruga-san!" she said, relief making her voice breathy and light. She would have said more but he surged forward and then her face buried in his chest. Strong arms wrapped around her, locking her deep in the safety of his embrace. She could feel his heart-beat against her temple and it calmed her despite its racing tempo.

Just this once, just for a brief moment, she couldn't help but melt in the comforting warmth he offered. Her hands slid around his waist, clinging to the back of his shirt, and she felt him answer by holding her impossibly tighter.

"You came." she stated, amazed again by her own lack of doubt. "I knew you would."

She felt a blast of air as he let out a ragged breath. "Of course I did!" he said angrily, taking her by the shoulders and backing up a step. "You screamed and hung up then I couldn't get through when I tried to call you back! I thought you-" He cut off abruptly, looking away for a moment before turning a gaze of such intense emotion on her that she felt tears well in her eyes. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry. Something made me jump and I dropped my phone. I couldn't find the battery and I didn't know your number to call you from the land-line. I'm sorry."

He took a deep breath, let it out, and the anger drained from him, leaving him looking worn and tired. "It's okay. As long as you're alright, it's okay."

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for coming."

"Of course I came." he said, more gently this time, and favoured her with a tentative smile. "Just please, try not to do that again, okay?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but cut off as Ren was tackled to the ground from behind.

* * *

><p>Kyoko had rarely had cause to apologise this much to anyone other than Ren before. But then again, bludgeoning a police detective with a curling iron generally called for a healthy dose of contrition.<p>

Inspector Satoshi watched her dogeza in obvious remorse with a sour expression as he sat at her kitchen table and pressed a large steak to his temple. "Apology accepted, for the last time. Seriously, you can get up now."

"I thought you were attacking Tsuruga-san, I'm so sorry!" Kyoko wailed, performing one last dogeza before climbing back to her feet.

"I was." Satoshi said without apology even as Ren rubbed at his lower back with a mournful sort of expression. "I thought he was attacking you. I see now I needn't have worried."

Kyoko whimpered and wrung her hands. She had seen Ren knocked down and acted on pure instinct by grabbing the nearest weapon and clouting the attacker over the head. Ren had also believed himself under attack and somehow managed to twist and land a crushing blow to his assailant's ribs.

Then they had recognised his face. 'Oops' didn't quite cover it. Her only small comfort was at least she hadn't grabbed the meat cleaver.

"Do you need another steak for your head?"

"No thank you." Satoshi said in a poisonous tone. "Why don't we go over the events of tonight. I got the gist from your call, but it was a little garbled."

Kyoko nodded. She felt a bit silly now that the fear had subsided and the house had been inspected for intruders and found clean, but she also realised that her terror had been justified at the time. She gave a somewhat clearer recount of what had happened, unclouded by anxiety until she got to the end. "I made my way downstairs to the land-line to call you, and a few minutes later Tsuruga-san arrived, then... well you know from there."

"Heroic detective arrives to find a car with its motor running and the driver door hanging open in the parking lot, and looks up to see a tall, well-built man attacking a young lady through the open back door. He acts, and one turns in to a ninja acrobat while the other becomes an avenging harpy of blunt force trauma."

"I'm sorry!"

"It's okay." He sounded like he meant it this time. "Probably he snuck upstairs while you were working and left long before you locked up. Did any of the customers tonight strike you as odd, stick in your mind for any reason?"

"No sir, none. It was busy and there were a lot of people."

"We believe it's the same man who attacked Hiyama-san – the card that went with the roses refers to 'Natsu' and we never released details of the note we found on Hiyama-san to the press. It appears he is not just an obsessed fan any more – you may have a stalker, Mogami-san."

"What steps would you recommend, Inspector?" Ren asked with a frown.

Satoshi sighed and gave a humourless smile. "Usually I would recommend changing the number and ensuring personal security. In this case though, well it's a restaurant. By nature it invites the public in. The place is secure enough once it's locked, but I'm sure you're well aware of how easy it would be for someone to sneak in while the doors are open."

Kyoko grimaced. Yes, she was.

"In this case I'd recommend moving to a private residence if possible. This place just isn't safe."

"But there's nowhere else I can go."

"We'll sort something out." Ren said, moving to stand next to her.

They all looked up as another car pulled in to the parking lot and Lieutenant Tanaka emerged. He spoke to one of the uniformed officers, prompting him to jog out of sight, and entered through the open kitchen door.

"Inspector! What happened?" the younger detective gasped as he approached.

"Curling irons are not to be underestimated. Never mind that, what did the owners have to say?"

"You called on Okami-san and Taisho-san?" Kyoko squawked, mortified that they might have been disturbed.

"Yes." Satoshi said firmly then paused and frowned. "Do these people _**have**_ names? Never mind, it's not important. Go on Tanaka."

"Apparently the rose was left in a plain white box at some point," he checked his watch, "the day before yesterday. They didn't discover it until after Mogami-san had left for the night. She knew Mogami-san was excited over a milestone in the Box-R series and assumed the rose was from 'the handsome gentleman with the nice car' whom Mogami-san was going to celebrate with because it referenced 'Natsu'. She felt bad it was noticed too late and put it in a vase for her. She did wonder at the time why the gentleman would leave the gift in the restaurant when he would be seeing her that evening but didn't think much of it. Mogami-san didn't return home that night, and returned only briefly in the morning before rushing out again so she couldn't tell her about it until earlier this evening. I mean yesterday evening. She seemed very upset about what happened."

"I take it you're the handsome gentleman with the nice car?" Satoshi asked Ren.

"I believe so, yes."

Satoshi raised his brows but didn't comment further. The uniformed officer returned, holding up a large evidence bag containing the body and lid of a white box made of light card.

"Get it to the lab and pray it's not too covered in fish guts." Satoshi ordered before the man could say anything, and he scurried away again. "Mogami-san, I would strongly recommend you find alternative accommodation from tonight onwards, at least on a temporary basis. He clearly knows where you live and he's already proved he's not shy."

Kyoko nodded grimly and blanched as an officer walked by carrying two roses and the greeting card, each in their own plastic bags.

"I promise we will continue this investigation until this lunatic is caught. Please take care in meantime, Mogami-san. Try to be alone as little as possible." Satoshi said as he stood and dropped his steak on the table. He bowed a good night and departed with the other officers, leaving Ren and Kyoko alone. She glanced at him and nibbled on her lower lip. For some reason everyone seemed to just assume he would stay with her but she didn't like to make such wild assumptions any more than she wanted to be left alone here tonight.

"Looking at the time it's not worth going anywhere else tonight – probably the best thing would be to pack a suitcase then go straight to LME. I'm sure we can sort something out from there."

"Thank you. I'll go and pack some things." she said and ran for the stairs, wanting to cause as little delay as possible. She returned in record time with one large suitcase and a smaller bag. "Um... this one's to leave at your apartment if that's still okay... I thought I might as well put that together too at the same time."

He smiled as she blushed slightly and took the bags from her. He carried them to the car while she locked the back door.

"I found my battery – it bounced into a drawer that was open a crack. I only thought to look on the floor for it before."

"That's good news." he said as they got in and he started up the engine. "I'm sorry I shouted."

Kyoko sent him a shy little smile and shook her head dismissively. "That's okay. You came."

The rest of the drive to LME was conducted in comfortable silence. Ren left her bag in his boot to take home later and insisted on carrying her bags to the Love Me room when they arrived. She was still protesting this as they turned the last corner and Kyoko nearly fell into a cleaning cart.

"Watch it!" a gravelly voice barked as a skeletal hand latched on to her shoulder to keep her upright.

"Sorry Watanabe-san!" she cried, bowing an apology to the aging janitor. The bony hand withdrew and slits of eyes gazed at her from a craggy face.

Watanabe Gen was bent and old with a heavy limp in his right leg. He was a surly sort, but usually had a nicotine-yellowed smile to flash for Kyoko since she had brought out Mio and scared off someone who had been shouting at him rudely.

"You're here early." he remarked, hunching over his mop.

Kyoko sighed and shook her head. "It's a long story."

"Don't got time for long stories. Go careful now." he said gruffly and went back to mopping the floor without another word or glance.

"I will." Kyoko smiled, knowing that from Watanabe that was actually quite affectionate. She tried to steal back her suitcase while Ren was distracted giving the janitor a long, hard look but his grip could not be compromised. She pouted as they resumed their walk and at least was able to hold the door to the Love Me room open for him.

She sat down and pulled out the Box-R script she would be acting out later that day. Ren made it clear that he would not be leaving alone even in the safety of the LME building with all its state-of-the-art security and she felt guilt stab at her from all directions. They ended up running through her lines together but Kyoko just couldn't quite get in to character and felt the need to spontaneously apologise every other page.


	5. Change of Address

**Change of Address**

Kyoko was awakened by a gentle shake and a soft voice calling her name. She found herself warm and snugly wrapped in a blanket that smelled heavenly, though her position left much to be desired. A crick in the neck for at least the rest of the day was certain and her left arm was so numb she felt the need to prod it with her right to make sure it was still attached.

She opened her eyes and yelped as they instantly met Ren's gaze at a startling close range. The man had a nasty habit of watching her sleep, she decided, and furtively checked to ensure she hadn't been drooling in her slumber.

"That's not a very nice way to react to seeing someone's face." Ren said dryly, withdrawing the arm that had been shaking her awake in order to fold it with the other across his chest.

Kyoko mumbled an apology and began the process of straightening her body out of the chair she had dozed off in. It was trickier than it sounded due to advanced pins and needles and various stiff appendages. The blanket, she realised, was actually Ren's coat and handed it back with a blush.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. What time is it?"

"That's alright, you looked like you needed the rest, and it's almost eight. I rang the president earlier and he said he would sort out your situation. He just called back to say he'd like to see us."

Kyoko nodded and ambled after Ren towards the elevator. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as they rode up together and felt a pang of guilt. He looked about as horrible as a man that handsome could get and she doubted he'd taken even a short nap while she'd been asleep and dreaming. And hopefully not snoring.

Her reverie was broken by the ping of the elevator doors opening and she stepped out to find the area more crowded than she had expected. The idol she had chaperoned was present and lit up like a Catherine wheel when he saw her.

"Kyoko-chan!" he cried, running over and taking her hands. "I just heard what happened – it must have been awful for you!"

"I'm fine, thank you." she said, her smile a little strained as she tried to free her hands. She felt a dark aura prickle at the back of her neck and wondered if Ren was annoyed about the ruckus she was a part of or the fact that it was holding them up. "We should go in to see the president now." she added in an attempt to resolve everything Ren might be upset about.

He nodded vigorously but didn't seem to get the hint as his grip on her hands tightened. "If you need anything, let me know."

Her reply was cut short by a large shadow falling over them. She had met his manager very briefly before, and casting large shadows was one of her strong points. The woman was tall, about the same height as Yashiro, and as broad as Ren. Her tailored skirt-suit did little to disguise the rippling muscles beneath and her face was kindest described as rugged. Kyoko had found her to be a lot nicer than she looked, but had still decided to err on the side of caution with regards to irritating her. She didn't like to think of what damage those tree-trunk arms were capable of.

"Ryu-chan, you're bothering her. Let her go." she said harshly, though her tone didn't seem to upset the idol. He released her hands with a grinning apology and the woman turned to Kyoko. "You need to be firm with him. He's lovely, but basically an idiot."

Kyoko blinked and glanced worriedly at the idol, only to find him nodding agreement. "Oh. I... see."

The woman smiled, her crooked nose twisting with the action, and dragged her charge away to the elevator.

"Who was that?" Ren asked as he watched them leave.

"Sanada Ryuma and his manager – Matsuhara Sai, I think. He's new to the city and LME and I chaperoned him for a few hours on his first day while he was waiting for his manager to join him from Sapporo. He's very enthusiastic, about everything – it gets a bit tiring after a while."

Ren seemed satisfied with this, and resumed leading her in to the president's office. Lory said a grim good morning and motioned them to sit as soon as they entered.

"Mogami-kun, are you alright?"

"Yes, I almost feel a bit silly about it all now. Almost."

"You have nothing to feel silly about." he said in something very close to a fatherly tone. "Knowing that your stalker has been in your room is hardly a pleasant thought."

She shuddered at the word; having a crazy fan was horrible, and the upgrade to stalker made her stomach clench.

"Obviously you need to find somewhere else to live at least until this man is caught."

Beside her Ren shifted in his seat as frustrated anger pulled his face in to a frown. Lory glanced up at the movement and offered a wry smile.

"My first choice, for a number of reasons, would be for you to stay with Ren."

Kyoko jolted. "I couldn't possibly impose on Tsuruga-san!"

"Unfortunately not. The press may already have gotten wind of the situation and it would be a scandal if it became known that I not only allowed a minor to move in with a single, red-blooded man but encouraged the action. It could even trigger a police investigation, on top of the one we already have, and that could lead to more things than me being labelled a negligent fool. It may come to light that you do not have permission from a parent or guardian to be here. None of these possibilities could do your career any good at all."

Ren shifted again, frowning deeper, and the president held up his hand. "You're apartment is not feasible, however your apartment _**complex**_ has everything desirable for personal security. LME recently recruited a promising young talent from Hokkaido – I've known his manager, Matsuhara Sai, for quite a while, which helped the negotiations associated with his transfer to Tokyo and LME, and as such I happened to recommend a few places to her for when she moved. Following my advice, she has recently taken an apartment three floors down from you and would be happy to accommodate Mogami-san for as long as needed."

"Thank you." Ren said sincerely then pursed his lips. "What about her charge – he's not staying with Matsuhara-san is he?"

"No. His family decided to move with him to Tokyo and he lives with them. I've rarely seen a more loving family than the Sanada's." the president said, going dreamy for a moment and Kyoko was suddenly sure of the main reason the idol had been recruited. "His schedule is very light at the moment, given that he has just arrived, and he has only one acting role at the moment. He's playing a vampire where almost all of his shooting is done at night and so Sai has also agreed to accompany Mogami-kun as much as possible during the day. This does mean that she won't be around at night, though the apartment complex is entirely secure and I'm sure it won't be hard for you to find company if you ever feel the need of it."

Ren cleared his throat as the president shot him a quick smirk before turning serious again. "Between myself, Sai, Ren and your Love Me companions you should never find yourself alone in a dangerous situation. This isn't the first time an LME talent has attracted a stalker, and while I do not wish to trivialise your case in any way I do want you to know that we have successfully protected our employees in the past."

"That's comforting to hear and thank you for all you've done, I really appreciate it. I feel terrible to cause so much trouble."

Lory smiled at her. "We also need to talk briefly about the press. We received a query about the goings on at your restaurant this morning and our PR department has drafted a press release with the bare minimum of detail: you were scared by a break-in at your home and have subsequently moved in with another female employee of LME on a temporary basis. You mentioned your concerns to Ren while you were on the phone discussing a post-production Dark Moon-related matter and he came to check on you then took you to LME when he saw how upset you were. If anyone approaches you, please tell them this and only this."

"I will." Kyoko grimaced, appalled at the idea of the media being involved. "How did they find out?"

"There was a reporter at the Darumaya. They tend to scan police frequencies and probably came to sniff out a story when they heard my name." Ren said quietly. "I saw a car pull up while the back door was open and the driver had a camera so I asked an office to run the plates – I thought it was either paparazzi or possibly the stalker returning. They confirmed the registered owner was a reporter, which is why I brought you here and not back to my apartment. It left when we did and followed us all the way to LME."

Kyoko marvelled at his observational prowess and berated herself for not noticing it too.

"I didn't mention it at the time because I thought you'd had enough to deal with already."

She felt a little put out, but couldn't help but admit that learning the press were there on top of everything else that happened last night probably would have finished her off.

The president looked at them both critically and pulled a face. "Now then, I understand Mogami-san has a change of clothes on hand, and while you don't have this convenience, Ren, you do have time to go home and clean up before your 11 o'clock photo shoot. I suggest you do so because you look hideous."

Ren stiffened indignantly but was forced in to submission when Kyoko agreed.

* * *

><p>Sai had returned to LME after driving her charge home and taken Kyoko to her Box-R location. On the way she had revealed that her father had been a professional wrestler, Moraku the Disemboweller, and had traumatised Kyoko with what she had surely meant to be amusing stories from her childhood. Instead of diverted, Kyoko felt slightly queasy and baffled as to how something called a 'Tombstone Piledriver' could ever be taken as a sign of affection.<p>

They were shooting at an actual high school, and Kyoko resisted the urge to squirm at the way the regular students gawped at her and the other actors. She felt like a particularly fascinating variety of fungus. It was slightly better than the last high school they'd filmed at though, where a devoted fan of Rumi-chan's had climbed a tree in order to get a better look at the actress – he'd lost his footing and plummeted to the ground right through the middle of a take.

And then there was the matter of the stalker. Despite all assurances and her own rationalisations, anxiety still gnawed at her. this was her first Box-R shoot since the stalker had appeared and she just felt that something might happen. She spent the entire shoot glancing over her shoulder, expecting to see a tall, well-built man and dreading the appearance of a rose. She received more NG's that day than she had in total over the last month.

When the shoot ended and nothing sinister had happened, Kyoko was drained after being in an extended state of high alert. She tried to stay awake for politeness' sake when Sai drove her back to LME but it was a losing battle. Even turning on the radio didn't help. After two songs and half a news report, from which she learned that Hiyama had regained consciousness, her eyelids dropped and refused to open again.

The next thing she knew, Kyoko was being assaulted. Well, it felt that way at least. Sai was not nearly so gentle in the art of shaking someone awake as Ren and for a moment she had experienced real terror. It lingered at the back of her mind even after Sai had offered a gruff apology and they were back within the safety of the LME building and didn't fade entirely when she walked in to the Love Me room and found Moko-san waiting for her.

"Mo!" Kanae exclaimed as Kyoko subjected her to a bone-grinding hug. The expression of annoyance had never been more welcome as far as Kyoko was concerned, and she constricted her best friend further. A few seconds passed and she released her hold when she realised she wasn't being pushed away.

"You didn't dodge?"

Kanae looked away, flushing slightly, and folded her arms defensively. "I heard what happened – consider that my version of comfort. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I think. It hardly seems real now but at the time I was scared witless. I'm glad I knew Tsuruga-san was coming."

"Hmm." Kanae said, raising a brow as she regarded Kyoko with a calculating look. "So how did it feel to have him charge to your rescue?"

Kyoko fiddled with the sleeve of the Love Me overalls she was changing into. "Strange." she said after much thought.

Kanae rolled her eyes, clearly expecting something more profound. "Just strange?"

"And good, I think, in a weird way. Um, I've never felt that before – knowing someone will come for me. It felt... strange."

"That's not the face of someone feeling strange." Kanae said softly.

Kyoko flinched at the tone. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Now, we've been asked to clean out an old storage room for the rest of the day and it's probably your fault, so don't you dare fall asleep. If I have to get all dusty so do you."

"Yes, Moko-san!" she cried, gleeful at the prospect of spending the afternoon with her best friend under any circumstances.

She followed Kanae to the storage room and grimaced. It would take some time to go through it's boxed contents before they could even start cleaning. The dust was caked on every surface and wretched coughing, not to mention the odd swear word, was thick in the air. Progress was slow, and made slower still be the grisly discovery of a dead rat in one of the boxes. All subsequent boxes were opened with extreme caution, and only after a pair of gardening gloves had been secured for each of them.

Kyoko was due to get a ride back to her new home with Ren, though she would have to wait for him to finish for the day. Kanae stayed with her, blushing as she refused Kyoko's pleas for her to escape while she could, and claimed that she might as well do it now and leave less to do tomorrow. Finally ten o'clock came around and they abandoned the now half-cleared room for the day.

They were covered in dust as they walked back to the Love Me room and Kyoko felt a pang of remorse as she saw the janitor's cart against the wall up ahead. She tried to shed as little dust as possible and earned herself a disgusted look from Kanae for walking funny.

"What are you doing? No, never mind, I don't want to get held up with the explanation. I want to get to a shower as soon as possible."

"A nice long soak would be wonderful." Kyoko agreed.

"I need to cleanse before bubonic plague sets in. Honestly, a dead rat! Could anything be worse than a box with a dead rat in it?"

"A box with half a dead rat?" she quipped, vaguely amused by her friend's shuddery dance of revulsion.

Kanae shuddered as she turned the last corner and practically ran for the Love Me room. Kyoko was about to follow her example when a bit of dust lodged in her nose and prompted her to sneeze so hard she almost fell over.

"Bless you." a gravelly voice came from her left and she turned to see Watanabe slowly mopping the floor. He sounded even more gruff than usual and Kyoko saw he was wearing a mask.

"Thank you. I hope your cold clears up soon." she said and chuckled as she got a grunt in reply before he turned his back on her to continue mopping. She hurried to catch up with Kanae and they set about changing clothes and removing as much dust as possible from their hair.

Kanae waited with her until Ren knocked on the door then bolted for home and her shower once responsibility was transferred. She called out a good bye as she went and an awkward offer to be on hand at any time Kyoko might need her. Grinning like an idiot, Kyoko walked with Ren towards the car park.

"You seem to be in a good mood." Ren said with a smile. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Moko-san was worried about me and I know it's probably inappropriate but I can't help being happy. I do kind of wish she had no reason to be worried, but it's really nice to know she cares."

Ren looked down at her with an expression that made lose all coordination of the legs. "She's not the only one. I care ab-"

"YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS!" Kyoko suddenly screeched, jerking to a halt before turning on her heel and sprinting back to the Love Me room.

"I care about you too, Mogami-san, a great deal." Ren said to the empty corridor with a sigh.

Kyoko cursed herself for forgetting something so important as she skidded to a halt in front of her locker and tore open the door. She grabbed Princess Rosa from the top shelf and let out a relieved breath as she turned to make her way back to Ren. She found a dark figure standing in the doorway and her heart nearly jumped through her sternum.

"Ah, Watanabe-san, sorry if I startled you. Everything's okay, I just forgot my necklace." she said, willing her heart to behave. For some reason it just wouldn't calm down. The janitor remained still and silent, blocking the doorway.

"Mogami-san?" Ren's voice called from outside the room and Watanabe flinched slightly then nodded and stepped back. Walking past him felt exactly the same as the time she had walked past a lion at the zoo. The lion had been right up at edge of its enclosure and Kyoko had felt an instinctive trill of fear despite her brain telling her there were bars separating her from the predator.

She pushed down that same instinctive urge to run from something that had teeth and talons enough to eat her alive, telling herself she was just overly sensitive right now and it really wasn't the janitor's fault he was a bit creepy.

As with the lion though, her rational mind could not quite overcome the instinctive fear and she was relieved when she was back beside Ren. She forced herself to call out a cheery good night to the janitor and return the little wave he sent her as she walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I just wanted to thank everyone for their kind reviews. I'm very grateful and I hope you continue to enjoy the story - there's quite a lot left to come I think :)


	6. Perchance to Dream

**Perchance to Dream  
><strong>

A night of almost no sleep followed by a full day left Kyoko so exhausted that and she nodded off mid-sentence as Ren drove her back to the apartment complex they now shared. He glanced at her slumbering face and chuckled, shaking his head fondly before returning his attention to the road. Even he was feeling the effects of staying up all night and he was used to operating with little rest – he was honestly surprised she hadn't dropped sooner.

He pulled into his space in the underground parking lot and rubbed his eyes. Now came the first and easiest of the two knotty decisions he would have to make before he could sleep: wake her up or carry her. He debated only a moment before choosing the latter.

The process of extracting a human from a car without ramming various limp parts of them in to the metal shell then closing the doors and locking the car afterwards was tricky business, though the rewards were worth it he decided as Kyoko shifted in his arms and snuggled against his chest. She would never do such a thing when conscious but he just couldn't bring himself to feel too much guilt over enjoying the feel of her slumbering caress.

She shivered in the cold air and curled in to him, and he decided he best get them inside before the thundering salvo of his heartbeat woke her up. He had held women in his arms before in far more intimate situations, but somehow when it was Kyoko even the slightest brush of physical contact triggered such a strong internal reaction it sort of frightened him.

The second knotty decision presented itself in the form of the elevator buttons. His floor, or the one three below. The sensible answer was of course to take her to Sai's apartment, but that would mean either waking her up or ransacking her bag for the key. And he wasn't quite ready to relinquish her for the night yet. Frankly he liked her being in his personal space, in his home, his life, but also he felt an overwhelming and selfish need to protect her personally right now. Last night must have terrified her of course, but it had affected him too. He had honestly trembled in fear when she'd hung up mid-scream. He didn't really remember the drive over to the Darumaya, but he was sure he'd violated more than one rule of the road.

She frustrated him beyond reason and was somewhere at the root of his every dilemma it seemed. She could lift his mood right up to the moon or cause it to plummet face-first into the ground with a single word or gesture, and she had absolutely no idea of the power she held over him. For good or ill no one had ever moved him like she did, and he suspected no one ever would again. It was annoying and sometimes he wished he could just turn off his feelings for her, but the idea of losing her was like a plunge in to the frozen waters of the Antarctic.

He pushed down a shiver and hit the button for his floor. He'd ring Sai and provide her with a logical excuse for the kidnap as soon as he thought one up.

He carried her to his guest room and froze as he set her down on the bed. She had just murmured something in her sleep that sounded suspiciously like his name. Either that or she was dreaming about rent, which with Kyoko this was probably more likely.

"...Ren..."

He blinked. There was no mistaking it that time, and his pulse fluttered. His head told him not to hope, that this was Kyoko and nothing was as it seemed, but his heart refused to cooperate. He even felt his cheeks flush at the idea she might be dreaming of him.

He decided it would be best for him to leave quickly before he did something that would make most girls swoon but Kyoko freak or she said something else that would shatter his hopes. She'd done it before. It was a little childish, but he liked the idea of her saying his name in her sleep and he didn't want to be disillusioned – if she was actually dreaming of a dog that happened to be called Ren or something he didn't want to know.

He went to bed, content in the knowledge that she was safe in the next room and thinking of him. He drifted off and his dreams strayed to a possible future where she was closer still, in his arms, and he had no doubt that she was thinking of only him.

* * *

><p>The morning's breakfast was made violently with the kitchen steeped in a thick black aura that swirled around Kyoko as she mercilessly chopped things in to submission with the largest knife she could find. She almost grilled the kippers with the ferocity of her gaze alone.<p>

The dream had been indefensible. She wouldn't be able to look Ren in the eye again, ever. After the obligatory shriek and frantic tumble to the floor cocooned in equal measures of hysteria and bedclothes that had followed her waking moments, she had very nearly burst straight into his room to beg his forgiveness. Only the thought of confessing what she needed to be forgiven for had stopped her.

She had dreamt about the night at the Darumaya, only things had taken a turn for the stupefying halfway through. In her dream, Inspector Satoshi had never arrived, and instead for reasons she was still trying to rationalise, Ren had kissed her. She had imagined Tsuruga Ren kissing her! And just in case that wasn't bad enough, in her dream she'd kissed him back. Vigorously.

She was a terrible person. She had molested the poor man in her imagination! She just couldn't understand why her mind had come up with such a scenario, and thinking about it too deeply lead her down roads that got increasingly scary the further she travelled. As such she chose to blame it all on consuming too much sugar or possibly gremlins, and forced herself to believe the explanation. Anything other than outside influence causing her to have such dreams was not acceptable.

She shuddered and ran a trembling hand through her hair. Unacceptable.

"Good morning."

She actually cried out at the sound of his voice. She hadn't heard him approach and whirled in surprise, managing to fling a kipper at him accidentally. He caught the scaly projectile with polished ease just before it hit him square in the chest.

"May I have a plate with it?" he chuckled and sent her a dazzling smile. No one who'd just had a fish thrown at them ought to be able to smile like that, she thought, taking it back distractedly. She grimaced as she imagined what sort of face he'd make if he knew what she'd done to him in her dream. He'd be speechless, she was certain.

"S-sorry, you startled me. Good morning, Tsuruga-san!" she said brightly, willing her facial muscles in to a fake grin that hurt. No, there was absolutely nothing amiss here, nope, nothing at all.

He regarded her strangely a moment, then shrugged and went back to smiling. She had no idea what he was in such a good mood for but it disconcerted her to the point she nearly turned on the blender without putting the lid on.

They sat down to eat and Kyoko tried to hide her jumpiness. She missed her mouth as she took a sip of her drink and decided she'd probably failed.

"I rang Sai-san to tell her you were here last night."

"Oh! Thank you." she said, resisting the urge to groan as she realised it hadn't even struck her as odd to wake up in his apartment. "I must have inconvenienced you again, I'm very sorry."

He chuckled and looked down at his hands. "Don't be, you're really no trouble at all. Actually you're quite light, I don't think I'd have any problem carrying you around all day."

She didn't have a ready response to that so took a more dignified sip of her drink instead. She ruined it by almost choking as she realised Ren was not the only person who had been inconvenienced. "Was she angry? I just didn't turn up after she was so kind as to take me in!"

"No." Ren said with a twitching brow. "She wasn't surprised at all. It seems the president told her to expect such an eventuality and she asked only that one of us call her to confirm when you come here. To make sure I eat properly and such." he added in a low mumble.

They finished breakfast and drove to LME, first stopping to pick up Yashiro. He got in and immediately asked how she was feeling, prompting Kyoko to lie and profess she was fine. She was still rattled about someone having been in her house, and now she had the dream to panic about too, but the last thing she wanted was sympathy. Or to have to talk about the dream, ever, to anyone.

* * *

><p>Kanae had come prepared to do battle with the storage room today. She had brought a radio, a bandanna for her long hair and disinfectant hand oil. They began the attack on what was left of the room and with no further rodent discoveries had made good progress by the time the news cut through the music on the radio.<p>

From the report Kyoko learned that Hiyama Atsuko had recovered consciousness and her thoughts turned sombre. Clearly Kanae noticed her change in mood and Kyoko felt her friend's concern in the way she smacked her over the head with a broom handle and demanded she stop slacking off.

By lunch time the room was spotless. The rubbish was cleared away and the important historical finds they had made moved to a more appropriate location. They'd even found some things that dated back to the seventies.

Rightly satisfied with a job well done, they made their way back to the Love Me room to clean up and change. Kanae offered to treat her to lunch with much awkward spluttering and assertions that it had to be a cheap meal, which prompted Kyoko to try and hug her.

"Mo! Get off me you idiot! If you dare do that in public I'm taking my offer back!"

Kyoko pouted but gave up trying to tackle her evasive friend. "Actually, I was thinking about going to visit Hiyama-san now that she's awake."

Kanae bobbed her head then prodded her as she sensed there was more to come.

"Well, you see, I'm not supposed to go anywhere alone so I was hoping maybe you'd come with me?"

"Ugh. Fine. I have some time before I need to be anywhere. You better buy me a sandwich though, a nice one."

"But I thought you were going to buy me lunch?"

"That was before I had to escort you halfway across town." Kanae reasoned as they made their way outside and Kyoko couldn't come up with a counter argument. She rang Sai quickly to let her know where she was going on the basis she should probably tell someone and Sai was the best choice she could think of.

They walked to the train station and Kyoko paused briefly to pick up a basket of fruit on the way. She could hardly turn up empty-handed and the thought of getting flowers of any kind made her queasy.

It was a long train ride and Kyoko spent the time fretting over her dream. She had eventually decided she must have watched a movie with a similar plot and combined what had happened in real life with a scene from the film. It sounded plausible, but still something gnawed at her. She was so deeply immersed in worry that she would have missed their stop if not for Kanae.

They arrived at the hospital the news had reported Hiyama was taken to and found a strange building which was half modern and half crumbling with age in a patch work effect. It was an economic sort of building which made good use of what space it had such that none was wasted and room was made for things like lawns and gardens. Kyoko supposed the greenery was pleasant for the longer term patients and was tasteful without being gaudy and wasteful.

The main reception was efficiently laid out and one of the modern parts of the hospital. Kyoko gave her name and role of Natsu to the receptionist, earning herself an odd look and a request to wait while she checked if Hiyama would see her. She clutched the little fruit basket and was quite surprised when the receptionist told her to go on up to Hiyama's room.

The actress was in a private room on the third floor and she and Kanae rode the elevator up. They found the room after a momentary lapse in directional awareness and Kyoko knocked before entering.

Hiyama Atsuko was quite famous for her pretty face and pleasing figure, though Kyoko winced as she got her first look at her current appearance. Her nose was covered in white gauze and she had two black eyes. Her left arm was in a cast and the way she lay suggested she was not all that comfortable in general. Hardly an inch of exposed flesh was not swollen and bruised.

"Great Scott! It's Natsu come to finish me off!"

Kyoko leapt a foot in the air and stared at the girl, a few years her senior, in bewilderment. "No! No, I came to... I felt I should come to... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what happened."

"Ah, don't mind me. I'm told my sense of humour is awful all the time but I never listen." she said in a nasally voice and might have smiled a little. "Sit down, sorry I made you jump."

Kyoko sat in the chair beside the bed while Kanae did an excellent job at merging into the background to observe unnoticed.

"I'm surprised you came to see me, thank you for your thoughtfulness."

"I'm sorry for what happened." Now that she was here, Kyoko couldn't think of anything else to say.

Hiyama frowned a moment and looked away as a flash of pain washed over her battered face. She turned back to Kyoko with a bright smile painted on. "Ah, it's not so bad. The doctors say it's not as bad as it looks and nothing is permanent. It's... it's going to take a long time but I'll be back to normal without a single scar eventually. They even managed to set my nose so it won't be kinky. It could have been worse."

Kyoko just nodded.

"Hey, um you know it's kinda hard for me to find the bright side when you look like you're about to burst in to tears."

With the idea verbalised, Kyoko did just that. "I'm sorry! I grumbled about what you said about Natsu on that talk show but I never thought... I never wanted..." she wept trailing off in a hitching sob as she dropped her face in her hands.

"Oh crap!" Hiyama cried then floundered a moment like a landed fish. "You with the long hair – yes you – pat her on the back would you, I can't reach."

Kanae lurched forward and slapped her on the back so hard she choked and Hiyama sighed.

"Close enough I guess. Look, Kyoko, I know you didn't send that psycho after me and for the record I meant no offense with what I said about Natsu. I think she's kinda cool actually, but as I said my sense of humour is a bit off. I'm not happy to be here and honestly I've had some amazing nightmares since it happened, but I don't blame you."

Kyoko rubbed at her eyes, furious with herself for getting so emotional that Hiyama, the leading victim in the whole situation, felt the need to comfort her.

"I'm sorry."

Hiyama chuckled wryly. "You say that a lot."

"You have no idea." Kanae snorted before retreating to the back wall and resuming her silent observation.

"I have a lot of flaws, though I don't think blaming people for my misfortunes is one of them. I can do far better than that – see, I have arrogance and pride down to a fine art already, and that's after the morbid humour. Oh, and I'm vengeful too so if that guy happens to contact you I'd appreciate if you set me up with ten minutes alone with him and baseball bat." Her laughter was obviously forced and died quickly at the look on Kyoko's face. "Oh. Crap."

Kyoko shook her head. "How are you feeling?"

It was a stupid question, even as an emergency change of subject, she realised as soon as it left her mouth but Hiyama answered anyway. "Okay, considering. Noses are truly amazing things – I never thought something so small could be so painful! The ribs keep me from moving around much but as long as I stay still they don't hurt. I can't feel my arm, and I haven't decided if that's good or bad yet – I'll let you know when I make up my mind. They're pretty free with the painkillers so overall I'm feeling grotty to passable."

The opening of the door and entrance of an orderly saved Kyoko thinking up a reply and she blinked at the way Hiyama lit up.

"Ah, you're in luck – this is Kei-chan, and he's even worse off than I am. Makes me feel a lot better to have him around!"

"Uchinuma Kei." the orderly introduced himself and began sorting out some pills. He was a tall man with light hair and broad shoulders, handsome enough that Kyoko found the idea of him playing a role in a hospital drama more believable than the idea of him being an orderly in real life.

"Divorced last month, bless him, and his father-in-law was his boss. He was left homeless and jobless without a single yen to his name."

"It's all true! I now life my life as a leech, inflicting my wretched person on an old college friend who's too kind for his own good, even if he is a big-shot doctor who can afford it. I even had to beg this job off him, so pity me please and leave a big tip." he laughed, and Kyoko felt incredibly awkward at discussing such personal affairs even if the man they related to didn't seem to mind at all.

"You don't tip orderlies, silly. And even if you did I refuse to tip you until you bring some decent drugs. Where's my morphine? I hear that stuff's fantastic."

"You're bad enough in a normal state, I dread to think what you'd be like high. Standard pills only for you." he said sternly then smiled as he handed her a couple of capsules and a plastic cup of water.

"Yuck. Nasty." Hiyama pronounced as she swallowed them. "I'm afraid I'm probably going to fall asleep for a bit soon so we'll have to cut the visit short, Kyoko. I'd be glad if you visited again sometime though. Kei-chan can't stop by that often and the only other person who visits me is a ditz who's more interested in flirting with doctors than talking to me. Maybe we could swap numbers?"

Kyoko couldn't refuse, Hiyama had turned so vulnerable with her last request. Kyoko guessed the attack had affected her a lot more than she claimed and probably liked to think. She rummaged in the large bag she'd brought and unearthed her phone.

With numbers exchanged and Hiyama starting to doze off, they took their leave. They eventually found the elevator again and stepped in, nearly witnessing a sideways guillotine as a short doctor scrambled in after them, and they rode in silence to the reception.

It was much unchanged from the last time they had seen it except for the addition of a suited gentleman trying to placate a man with muddy knees loudly protesting the defilement of his greenhouse. Kyoko and Kanae decided silently and as one that they didn't want to know and hurried past the scene.

"I hate hospitals." Kanae said once they were outside and able to breath air that didn't smell like disinfectant.

"Me too." Kyoko agreed and set off on the short walk to the train station. "Thank you for coming with me." she added, stretching out her limbs to get rid of the slight stiffness that went with sitting tensely in a chair for any amount of time.

Her companion grunted. "You still owe me a sandwich. A nice one."

Kanae never got her sandwich.

Through the thin crowd of pedestrians, a voice rose up above the general murmurings. "Hey! Hey you, uh, Natsu!"

Kyoko froze. She turned to see a heavyset man jogging towards them, eyes locked on hers, and then she felt a hand clamp on her forearm and she was running. Kanae said nothing, but her face was set in a grim expression as dragged her into a sprinting escape from the strange man and the thorny red rose he held.


	7. Pigs and Weasels

**Pigs and Weasels**

Kanae let out a strangled sort of sound and held her head in her hands.

"That was the most embarrassing moment of my life!" she exclaimed. "This week." she added after a scathing glance in Kyoko's direction.

She winced as Kyoko didn't seem to hear her, staring instead at the rose in her hand. The strange man had chased them until they had run blindly in to a dead end ally, and Kanae had prepared herself to defend her friend in a moment of dramatic self-sacrifice that was ultimately quite unnecessary.

The heavy-set office worker had been quite miffed by their strange behaviour and was probably regretting his decision to be a good citizen and return the rose which had apparently fallen out of the back of Kyoko's bag while she was walking. He'd handed the flower over at arm's length and left the two bizarre females to themselves without further comment.

"It was in my bag... but it wasn't there in the hospital..."

Kanae grimaced. Finding out they were not about to be hideously savaged was a thing to be celebrated, but the fact that the rose had materialised was not. She could only think someone had slipped it in while they were walking – the streets weren't bustling, but there was enough of a crowd for it to be possible. But that meant the stalker had followed them there, and he could still be nearby.

"Let's go before anything else happens." she said, taking Kyoko by the arm and leading her towards the train station at a brisk pace. She felt a deep wave of sympathy for her friend, Kanae was only in the near vicinity of a stalking victim and her heart was pounding.

She was jumpy the whole way back to LME and desperately glad to be back within its secure confines. Everyone on the train, male or female, had morphed in to a potential threat and she felt they were being watched the whole way. Kyoko had been oblivious to everything but the rose and the little tag tied to its stalk that simply read "To Natsu".

She was still looking at it with a mix of confusion, dread and anger when the LME receptionist told them that Inspector Satoshi was waiting for Kyoko in the president's office and they were to go straight up. Only when they got to the door of the office did she jolt out of her trance.

"You were going to protect me." she said with a note of awe in her voice.

Kanae promptly blushed and spluttered. She was so busy trying to explain away her humiliating heroics she wasn't quick enough to avoid a spontaneous hug. She braced herself for the usual bone-crushing force, but it never came. It was just a normal hug, and it brought a lump to her throat.

"Come on." she muttered gruffly and pushed her in to the office.

Satoshi stood as they entered and raised a brow at the rose in Kyoko's hand. "Mogami-san." he said in greeting. "What's that?"

"We visited Hiyama at the hospital. Someone put this in my bag sometime after we left." Kyoko explained in a flat tone. "It fell out and a man chased us into an alley to give it back. We thought... Moko-san was really brave."

Kanae's face had still not quite regained its usual hue and plunged deep in to the red end of the spectrum at her words and tone. "The guy thought we were insane. Me especially."

"Did you get his name?" Satoshi asked, stepping forward eagerly.

"No, he was just some office worker walking past on his lunch break. He saw a rose fall out of a girl's bag and when he tried to give it back the girl and her friend ran away like a pair of lunatics. When he caught up with them, one started swinging her bag like a mace and threatening to scratch his eyes out if he took another step. I don't think swapping names and numbers was at the front of his mind – he just handed over the rose and ran for the hills."

"What did he look like?"

"About 5'10, wearing an old grey suit with a few loose threads, blue tie with a coffee stain near the bottom, white shirt and black shoes. Well-trimmed beard with a wide face and dangerously close to developing a double chin. Dark eyes and short, gelled-back hair. He was heavily built, like one of those stereotypical tough mob bosses, and surprisingly quick on his feet for it." Kanae was rightly proud of her memory and couldn't help but let it seep in to her voice.

Satoshi stared at her and blinked. "If all my witnesses were like you there'd be a lot fewer unsolved cases. I take it you would be able to identify him again if needed?"

"Yes." Kanae said confidently.

"Probably he was just some guy, but it's also possible he was the stalker putting on an act. We'll see if we can track him down so we can eliminate him from our enquiries if nothing else. We've got a fair chance thanks to your description."

The president, who had been uncharacteristically silent so far, leaned forward on his desk. "Mogami-kun, are you alright? You look shaken."

Kyoko flinched. "I just froze." she said quietly.

"That's understandable given the circumstances."

"Moko-san could have gotten hurt, and I just froze." she muttered and when she looked up, Kanae swore she saw a plume of demons burst forth from her suddenly furious form. "I'm so angry with myself!"

Everyone backed away.

"That's it! I've had enough, it's time to take the initiative. Inspector-san! Where do they sell Mace and stun guns?"

The idea of Kyoko in possession of either left Kanae feeling light-headed.

"Well, it might be good to carry a personal alarm and maybe some pepper spray from now on. I'm not too sure about the stun gun though." Satoshi said distractedly. There wasn't much that could throw him but this girl just wasn't normal. "You should definitely be careful, this time he approached you in broad daylight. He's escalating."

A look of fear crossed her face for a moment and she shook her head violently to clear it. "This is ridiculous, I can't spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. What can I do?"

"Nothing stupid." Satoshi said firmly. "Let us continue to investigate and keep yourself safe until we catch him. We've got a profiler working on it and few new leads, which is actually why I came today. Do pigs, weasels and white spirit mean anything you?"

"Eh?"

"The initial analysis of the box the first rose was found in came back and while a lot of the results have to be down to restaurant contamination, three traces stood out. They found residual white spirit and a few hairs which turned out to be porcine and some kind of weasel – we'll get more detailed results soon. The pig I could write off as contamination if there had been any traces on the outside of the box, but I'm guessing weasel isn't on the menu at all. Does white spirit ever get used in the kitchen to clean the cutlery or anything?"

"Not that I know of."

Satoshi nodded. "Then it was probably there before the box was left at the Darumaya and will give us a clue to his identity once we figure out the relevance."

"Pigs and weasels..." Kyoko muttered to herself, frowning in thought.

"The profiler was most interested in the note: 'One girl alone could dare assume, more beauty than a rose in bloom, and as that girl is so adorned, I'll send twelve roses with their thorns, to my love, my own dear Natsu.' – she says this is concerning on a number of levels. Firstly it indicates an amount of planning and it wasn't a spur of the moment thing. He's probably been watching and following you for a while. Also it refers to 'Natsu' and not your real name, as did the note we found with Hiyama-san, which points to obsession and a difficulty in separating fantasy from reality. He could be a legitimate nut. Lastly, it's a statement of intent. He says he'll send twelve roses."

"The one today was the third. When he's sent all twelve, will he just stop?" Kyoko asked in a dubiously hopeful tone.

Satoshi pursed his lips. "No."

Kyoko glared down at the rose in her hand and let out a tired sigh. "Um, here, I didn't touch the tag in case you wanted to fingerprint it or something."

Satoshi pulled out an evidence bag and held it open for her to drop the flower in. "It's not as easy as you'd think to get hold of a rose with its thorns still attached in the middle of Tokyo. Florists generally remove them before they even put them on display so we think he must have gotten them from a private garden. Assault, breaking and entering, daylight approach – he's getting reckless and it has to be only a matter of time before he makes a mistake. We'll get him whether he does or not."

With this assurance, and a promise to keep them updated, Satoshi turned to leave and was nearly sent flying as Sai entered the office with all the subtlety of an epileptic rhino.

"Kyoko! I just heard what happened, you poor thing!"

Kanae couldn't help taking a certain amount of perverse pleasure at the irony of Kyoko being bear-hugged by a wrestler's daughter.

* * *

><p>Kyoko winced and rubbed her sore ribs as they waited for the lift to respond to their call. Sai really wasn't all that well-versed in gentle even though her heart was in the right place. She had driven straight over as soon as she'd heard and announced that she was taking Kyoko home to rest. The president had agreed and Kyoko was too tired to consider arguing.<p>

Kanae had offered to try and shift her schedule so she could stay with her but Kyoko had refused, unwilling to be the cause of any more trouble to her friend. She didn't turn down Sai's suggestion of a sleepover later tonight though, and thanked the woman profusely for her kindness. Kanae had instantly agreed and said she would come over as soon as she could.

She felt drained and overwhelmed, and irritated beyond reason. There was a lingering whisper of fear in the back of her mind that she just couldn't stamp out completely. The thought that the stalker could have waltzed right up to her in the street, had been so close he could have touched her sent cold tremors scuttling down her spine.

Stalk wasn't a strong enough word. She felt like she was being systematically hunted, and not by something that was merely bestial. This hunter had intelligence and cunning too. He didn't just burst out and attack her as he had done with Hiyama, but took his time to toy with her mind.

Kyoko was starting to feel like he was everywhere, even walking down the street with the sun out and someone else with her wasn't safe anymore. Her places of security were dwindling, as if her escape routes were being cut off one by one and while she knew it was happening she was powerless to stop it. She could do nothing but rely on others, and that infuriated her as much as it frightened her.

Today had shocked her. She had thought that as long as she was sensible she would be safe and learning that this simply might not be the case and caused her brain to misfire. She resolved never to allow that to happen again. Being afraid was unavoidable, as was relying on the police, but she could do everything that _**was**_ within her power.

With this in mind she made Sai pull over on the way home so she could purchase an improvised 'Fujiko kit'. Her finances wouldn't stretch to much but she felt better by taking the initiative in some way – she felt like she was doing something.

There was one more thing she could do, but this would be difficult to execute for several reasons. She wanted to learn at least some basic self defence, but formal lessons would be expensive and require her to move with a freedom she just didn't have right now. An image of Cain Heel flashed through her mind and she wondered if Ren would give her a few pointers. She remembered her dream and grimaced. Was it okay to ask so much of him when she'd sexually harassed him in her mind? She didn't know, but resolved she had to ask.

"Kyoko?"

Sai's voice brought her crashing back to reality and she blinked as she found herself outside the door to Sai's apartment.

"Sorry." she said as she scrambled through the door that Sai had apparently been holding open for her for some time. It was the first time she had seen her new residence and a wave of familiarity washed over her as she noted it was like a half-size replica of Ren's. The trappings were different and Ren didn't generally keep dumbbells lying around in the living room but the similarity was enough to entice her in to a comfortable feeling.

She eyed the dumbbells and turned a speculative gaze on her new landlady. "Sai-san? Your father was a professional wrestler, right? Didn't you say he trained you?"

"Hmm? Oh yes – Moraku the Disembowller." she replied with a proud grin. "I learned everything I know from him. I wrestled a few matches myself but decided I liked the managerial aspect better. Ryu-chan's big brother was my client before he retired from wrestling and asked me to help out as a last resort when his little brother needed a show business manager and they couldn't afford any of the agency fees. Quite lucky really."

"I can't pay much but would you be willing to teach me a few of the basics?"

Sai's face lit up and Kyoko decided that, on the whole, this might not have been one of her brighter moves as the beefy woman wasted no time in scooping her up and body-slamming her into the couch.

By the time Kanae arrived she felt like she'd been through a tumble-dryer on a particularly aggressive spin cycle and if her friend's face was anything to go by, she looked like it too. With a refreshed air Sai had retreated to her room and left them in the living room to watch a DVD.

Kanae had brought the movie with her but it had clearly been selected with Kyoko's tastes in mind. She was enthralled for the duration but Kanae had actually gagged a few times at the sugary plot. She was in such a dreamy state by the time the credits rolled that she answered her phone when it rang without checking the caller ID. She very nearly squawked when Ren's voice reached her ears.

She had planned on avoiding him for a while, but he had caught her off guard, causing her to panic and babble. Somehow by the time she hung up the matter had been settled and she was going to his place tomorrow to cook him dinner in exchange for a crash course in martial arts.


	8. Fears

**Fears**

The weather had improved a little since the cold snap had set in some days ago but not to the point where her school skirt was not unpleasantly breezy. Kyoko was reluctant to leave the warmth of Sai's car as they pulled up and she ran across the grounds to reach the heated building as fast as she could after a hurried farewell.

As if she had not endured enough ghastly happenings over the last few days, she found herself face to face with Nanokura Mimori. The girl instantly smiled sweetly and Kyoko swore she could see flowers bursting into bloom all around her. Mimori opened her mouth to speak and Kyoko braced herself, but before any ghastly happenings could be verbalised a teacher was upon her and dragging Kyoko away to the school office.

Teachers, she decided, would make excellent bouncers with their ability to efficiently move people around without them realising exactly what was happening until they found themselves at their destination. Kyoko found herself seated opposite the principal with no idea how she had gotten there.

"Mogami-kun." the principal said, blinking owlishly at her. "We received an outline of your current situation from your agency. We have taken the precaution of alerting your teachers and please rest assured that they know to accompany you at all times you are not in the classroom."

Kyoko grimaced. "Surely it's not necessary to cause them so much trouble."

"We take any threat to our students very seriously, and a delivery was made today by bike courier that caused us further concern." the principal said and placed a parcel wrapped in brown paper in front of her. "This came early this morning, addressed to Kitagawa Natsu, courtesy of Mogami Kyoko. We thought we should wait until you arrived to confirm its contents before we contacted the police."

She regarded the package with a wry smile. The length and shape looked about right, and after she carefully removed the packaging a thorny red rose was indeed revealed. She frowned as she held it up to her face, wearing gloves that the school nurse had apparently donated. She was sure she should be feeling more than quiet resignation, but frankly the idea of someone posting a rose to her school, a publically listed building, was just not as frightening as someone being in her home or approaching her on the street.

The principal clearly took a different view, and Kyoko could understand, but she was far more worried about being another rose further through the countdown than anything else. She even felt a little hopeful that the police might be able to track the sender through the courier company, and with this in mind she rang Satoshi.

The inspector promised to send an officer to pick up the rose and its packaging, though was less enthusiastic about the chances of tracing the sender – apparently using cash would cut off any trail. So far he hadn't left any fingerprints, but Satoshi was eager to have the packaging examined.

The principal promised to take care of handing over the evidence, and Kyoko went back to class. The teachers didn't leave her alone for a moment, not even to visit the bathroom, and it quickly got annoying. She spent the rest of the school day trying to keep her temper in face of Mimori's endless prodding and trying not to need the loo.

She had never been so glad to hear the bell sound at the end of lessons for the day and ran to Sai's car before Mimori could start interrogating her further about the police presence and her clandestine meeting with the principal.

"You poor dear!" Sai exclaimed after Kyoko told her about the rose. She looked like she wanted to hug her and Kyoko was glad she had waited until they were moving before telling her to avoid the chance of just such an emergency.

Kyoko licked her lips. "Actually, I'm not that upset – this time doesn't seem so creepy as the last ones. I had visions of him turning up in person or something, so getting a rose through the post was kind of a relief... if that makes sense."

"I understand, I think. I'll take you straight home and make you some nice hot cocoa anyway though." Sai said with a smile.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking me to the hospital to visit Hiyama-san, if it wouldn't be too much trouble? I'd like to see her, and... you see... the rose that turned up today didn't scare me, but the one yesterday did. I, um, well I know it would be stupid to not be on my guard after what happened but I don't want to be afraid of walking down the street so I wanted to go back. I want to..." Kyoko waved her arm around vaguely as she tried to put her thoughts in to words and made a mess of it.

"Face your fears?" Said asked approvingly. "I'll check with President Takarada but it should be alright as long as I stay with you all the time."

* * *

><p>Kyoko was determined and her mind was made up, though she couldn't help her sweating palms as they pulled up in the visitor car park. She took a deep breath and climbed quickly out of the car. She had gone on foot last time and could have been followed fairly easily, but this time she had gone by car and had the daughter of Moraku the Disemboweller with her. It was an entirely different situation.<p>

The wind picked up and blew an empty can across her path. She stopped to watch it roll away, clanging with every revolution, and shivered.

"Are you alright?" Sai asked as she appeared at her side. Kyoko nodded and forced herself to continue walking at a normal pace until they reached the hospital reception. They rode the elevator up to Hiyama's floor after being cleared for visitation by the front desk and Kyoko did a double take as they stepped out.

She saw the janitor from LME limping along with a mop right at the other end of the corridor and Kyoko was momentarily confused until she remembered he worked in a few of the larger buildings along the train line. In one of his rare moments of sarcastic humour he had jokingly told her he was quite proud to work in the hospital as it was the closest his relations would ever get to having a doctor in the family. He disappeared through a set of double doors before she could think to wave and she continued on.

Kyoko knocked and entered Hiyama's room, finding the occupant in bed with a man in a white coat standing at her bedside holding a chart.

"Hello again!" Hiyama said, smiling as she motioned to the visitor chairs. "Have a seat – I think they're sturdy enough for your friend."

Sai blinked, looking like she was trying to decide if she'd been insulted. She smiled a little bemused and dragged her chair off to a corner after she was introduced to work on a crossword she'd brought.

"This is doctor Ikemura – he's been stuck with me since I've been here. Patience of a saint, obviously." Hiyama said, pointing to the man at her side. He was a few inches taller than Kyoko and had the sort of clean-cut, tidy appearance one expected of a doctor, as well as a soothing sort of manner and kind eyes.

"Oh, have I come at a bad time?"

"Not at all, I was just finishing up. Hiyama-san is making excellent progress." Ikemura smiled and patted her gently on the shoulder before he nodded a polite farewell and left the room.

"That poor man, he was probably terrified you were Modoka." Hiyama said quietly after the door had closed behind him. She rolled her eyes and smirked at Kyoko's questioning look. "A friend of mine who pretends to visit me sometimes – she plays a nurse in 'Emergency Admission'. I swear she only took the role as an excuse to spend time in a real hospital and bag herself a doctor. I'm surprised she doesn't bring a net and a club when she visits, she's not exactly subtle about the fact she likes Ikemura-sensei. I do feel sorry for him, but watching him trying to stay polite and professional as he runs for his chastity is about my only fun in the afternoons. Ah! It's so boring here."

"Are you feeling better?" Kyoko asked, deciding that next time she came she would have to think up conversation starters beforehand.

"A bit. Had a nightmare last night – could have sworn there was someone sneaking around in here but I've had that feeling every night so far. It's the boredom, I swear. Go on then, distract me with all the fascinating things you did today – make something up if you didn't do anything interesting."

Kyoko bit her lip and wrung her hands. "I, uh, well today I led an expedition to scale Mt Everest..." she began uncertainly but soon gained more confidence. It somehow turned in to the tragic tale of a misunderstood yeti on a quest to rescue his one true love from an evil goblin and involved a lot of enthusiastic hand gestures. Ten minutes in to the story Hiyama clutched at her ribs from laughing too hard and told her to stop.

"Good grief, you're utterly insane! Can I book you for every afternoon Kei-chan is off rediscovering himself? Oh that reminds me, he was star struck when I told him who you were. He's been going to adult education classes at his local high school since his divorce and said you'd filmed there once – he was bummed you were long gone by the time turned up for his lesson and never thought he'd meet you in person later. He said he never knew the life of a hospital orderly would be so glamorous what with meeting me and you here."

"He didn't mean Jindai High, did he?"

"Yeah, I think that's the one."

Kyoko chuckled and shook her head. "That's where we had to retake a really long scene twenty times because one of the student's fell out of a tree."

"What?"

"He wanted to get a better look at Rumi-chan – he fell through the shot just when the girl I was supposed to be intimidating in to betraying her best friend said the line 'the sky will fall before I do that!'. It was ages before we could do it again without someone bursting out laughing halfway through."

Hiyama snorted and held her ribs again. She had her own bloopers to share and by the time Kyoko ended the visit they were both in a state of constant giggles. Promising to come again soon she left with Sai, feeling much better on the way out than on the way in. She did still check her bag when she got to the car, but happily no flora had materialised.

* * *

><p>Kyoko remained in good cheer right up until she received a phone call from Ren to say he was ready for her self defence lesson whenever she was. She morphed instantly into a quivering blob of agitation and shuffled off towards the elevator.<p>

He was waiting for her in his doorway when she arrived and had apparently been busy rearranging his living room beforehand – all the furniture had been pushed to the edges leaving the central area clear, and all electrical devices had been removed somewhere out of sight.

Kyoko shook her head to try and dislodge the dream; Ren was being serious in trying to help her and the least she could do was concentrate. It mostly worked, though she kept catching herself staring at his lips. She growled at her insubordinate eyes and sat on the relocated couch with the pad and pen she'd brought ready to scribble notes as he began the session.

He had obviously given this some thought and even had a lesson plan. He began with an overview of what he was going to teach her and put a grave emphasis on running away. He was going to teach her how to escape and made her promise three times that she would make this her top and only priority should she ever find herself in a dangerous situation.

He ended the introduction by enforcing the idea of there being no rules in a real fight – if she got the chance to kick an attacker where it hurt and run for it, she should take it without thinking twice. Kyoko had no problems with this and wrote it down with a gleeful flourish of her pen.

He detailed her strengths and weaknesses next, and Kyoko was disheartened to learn that the latter far outweighed the former. She brightened a little as he went on to describe how to overcome them and then it was time for the first exercise – how to use an opponent's momentum against them.

He motioned for her to stand in front of him and placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing forward and forcing her back.

"You're not strong enough to stop me, but if you twist to the side quickly and bring your arms down on mine you can throw me off balance – try it."

Kyoko did as he said and grinned as she found herself free and Ren stumbling forward a step. Her smile faded as he shot her a playful look.

"That's the idea. Now, this may seem a little odd but it's the only way to give you anything close to real experience – an actual attacker won't just walk up to you and wait until you're ready, they'll be chasing after you. I'm going to attack in this manner so see if you can keep me from grabbing hold of you for more than three seconds."

She shrieked as he lunged forward and was barely able to avoid his grasp. He chased her all around the room and Kyoko was glad the furniture had been moved. It was hard enough trying to get away in an open space, she didn't like to think what breakages might be incurred if she had to leap coffee tables too. She lost several times, but got progressively better at managing to throw him off when he caught her. She pirouetted so many times she felt like a member of the Russian ballet and was quite dizzy by the time he called an end to the exercise.

She was stunned to see him act this way and it reminded her that while Tsuruga Ren would never dream of chasing a girl around his living room with something suspiciously like a boyish grin, that was only his public persona. Ren was just a normal person who did normal things like washing up and taking a shower.

Kyoko froze, her last thought causing images to flash through her mind that were bad enough on their own but then they went and merged with the dream she'd had. Suddenly she was in the Darumaya with a shirtless Ren and that was entirely too much for her to cope with under normal circumstances let alone when the man in question was standing three feet away.

She proclaimed her immediate and categorical need for a drink of water and sprinted to the kitchen to give her mind a stern talking to. She returned to find he had removed his sweatshirt, leaving his top half covered only with a black tank top, and shot back in the kitchen. Forcing her imagination to stop thinking up crazy and highly inappropriate things, she walked back in to the living room and tried not to notice the swell of his biceps or the ridges of his chest.

He watched her thoughtfully as she shuffled towards him and glanced down at himself. His eyes flicked back up to hers and she found herself on the end of a strangely hopeful look. She slapped herself on the forehead and returned to the kitchen – of course, he probably expected her to bring him some refreshment too. She frowned at her behaviour and the knowledge that she'd been so inconsiderate was enough to rewire her brain.

She handed him a glass of water and he drank it with a lot more flexing than was usually required, all the time watching her out of the corner of his eye. He seemed a little disappointed by the time he'd drained the glass and Kyoko hoped it hadn't been too warm for his tastes.

He thanked her with a wry smile and set down the glass. "I'd like to teach you how to fall, but we'd really need mats for that."

"Sai-san already taught me that – I asked her if she'd teach me some wrestling basics yesterday."

"That sounds a bit dangerous, you don't want to get bruises."

"She was very careful – she had me do break-falls on an old futon and only did the big moves on cushioned surfaces. Suplexes on the couch, oh and she jackhammered me on the bed."

Ren's expression turned distant and contemplative at her words. He shook his head as though to clear it and smiled at her. "I see. I'm not sure wrestling moves will help you too much, they generally focus on power, but it's good she taught you to fall. We'll skip that for now and move on to breaking holds. If someone manages to get hold of you, you need to be able to get free."

With no other warning than a quick "Excuse me" he moved to her back and wrapped his arms around her. It was all she could do to contain her reaction to freezing in place and a slight twitching of her left eye.

"Don't try and pull at my arms, I'm too strong." he murmured in her ear. "Go for other areas to make me let go – stamp on my foot, elbow me in the ribs, and go for my eyes if you get the chance. Try not to use your head as a weapon, you might knock yourself senseless in the process, and don't worry about hurting me, I'll get out of the way. Remember to twist at the same time to get free. Are you ready?"

Kyoko managed a stiff nod then yelped as his arms tightened and he easily lifted her in the air.

"That's cheating! How am I supposed to stamp on your foot like this?" she cried, her toes dangling in the vicinity of his shins.

"Then go for the ribs." he said and it sounded like he was smirking. She flailed around a bit with no success and then thought to use her legs. He dodged her kick to his knee, but it made him loosen his hold enough for her to elbow him soundly.

"Very good." he grunted as he dropped her. Now, see if you can fight me off and escape if I catch you."

The chase was on again and Kyoko thought she was doing splendidly until she was undone by a sock. It had been coming off for a while without her noticing until it finally caused her to trip. She uttered a startled cry as she nosedived towards the ground and when she felt a pair of hands at her waist to steady her she unfortunately twisted on pure instinct as she had been doing all evening.

Off balance herself, she had now succeeded in putting her rescuer into a similar state. They tumbled to the ground like a pair of felled trees, and Kyoko yelped as she was crushed on the floor beneath him.

She had ended up in just such a predicament before, and froze now as she had then. However this time her thoughts turned first to irrational inanities rather than escape. The sensation of his body pressing down on hers wasn't horrible – she was far from comfortable at their proximity but she wasn't exactly uncomfortable either. His face was in her hair, his left cheek pressed against hers, and she felt warm where their skin touched. She could feel his breath at the base of her neck and it sent a shiver stealing down her spine. She was stiff and wooden but she didn't precisely feel like running away.

He also seemed to have experienced a brief lapse in higher brain functions and took a few short shallow breaths before moving. His forearms shifted to either side of her head and he raised himself up on his elbows, grazing his cheek against hers as his head lifted and the side of his mouth ghosted along her jaw for a split-second. It was a strange feeling, but she didn't dislike it.

She panicked over her lack of panic and stared up at him with wide eyes and a galloping heart. She realised her hands were currently resting on his sides and tried to remove them, panicking further when they disobeyed. He was looking down at her with a complicated and watchful expression and she did her best to force a nonchalant smile.

Whenever she had found herself in this sort of situation before she had entered a state of extreme alarm. She could hear the klaxons sounding in her head now too, however this time the root of her agitation was mostly herself rather than the other party. That brought a wave of fear bubbling up that made her insides squirm.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice a little deeper than usual.

She managed to nod even though she screamed out a silent 'no' in her head. "I twisted."

"So you did." he chuckled and she felt his chest reverberate with the sound, muscles contracting under her fingers. It felt terribly intimate.

_Danger!_ Her mind screamed at her.

"Dinner!" she cried aloud, her sudden high pitch and volume making him jump. He laughed again, wryly this time, and helped her back to her feet. His hand lingered on hers for a second before he turned away and began inspecting his furniture.

"Good idea – I'll put the living room back together."

She nodded and ran to prepare the meal with shaking fingers. Her cheek still felt warm from where it had pressed against his. She touched the spot absently with her fingertips before furiously shaking her head and renewing her attack on the pork cutlets.

She shoved down any strange thoughts and feelings, resolving to get through dinner without making a fool of herself. Blaming their existence on the dream which in turn was caused by watching too many sappy films, she prayed that nothing else happened in the near future. She was running out of things to blame.

Working out her tension on the rice, which she washed until it squeaked for mercy, Kyoko was able to get her conscious mind under control and make it through dinner without further incident. Her unconscious mind was another matter entirely, and it mutinied on her the moment she fell asleep that night. She was glad Sai was out night-shooting with her client given the number of times she woke up and screamed in a mixture of fear, horror and pure frustration.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thank you again to everyone for your kind reviews!<p> 


	9. Spontaneous Combustion

**Spontaneous Combustion**

Kyoko sat at the counter in Sai's kitchen nursing a cup of coffee. She had finally managed to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep shortly after Sai returned from her client's night-shoot in the early hours. The idea of causing trouble had been just enough for her to find the off switch in her brain, but now the morning had arrived she couldn't help but dwell on the dreams that had assaulted her for the first half of the night.

She was still fretting by the time Sai stumbled into the kitchen just before noon, loudly grumbling about being too old to be out all night when no alcohol was involved. Kyoko shrieked as she saw the time and became a blur of activity as she hurried to get lunch started and make more coffee for them both.

An hour later Sai announced she was revived enough to drive Kyoko to her Box-R shoot without being in danger of falling asleep at the wheel. They would be shooting at a studio today, which Kyoko was looking forward to – open-air shoots had her feeling awfully exposed these days.

Sai walked her into the building after dropping her off and left to take her client to a shoot – they were filming a rare afternoon scene which might drag on a bit past the end of Kyoko's session but she promised to collect her as soon as possible. In return she made Kyoko promise to wait and not try to make her own way anywhere.

She arrived at studio 5 on the third floor and found two of the female set crew in the midst of a philosophical debate over which of two men were sexier. Kyoko fully intended to keep out of the discussion but when the identities of the men involved became clear she couldn't help but listen in at least.

One was favouring Tsuruga Ren, and though the other couldn't disagree with any of the arguments her friend presented she also couldn't write off the apparent bad-boy attractions of Fuwa Sho. Kyoko bit her tongue, deciding that it would probably be best for her not to verbalise her thoughts on the subject. She did however let out a strangled squeak when she learned the debate had been triggered by the fact that the singer was currently shooting a PV in the same building.

She flushed and pretended to fuss over her hair when the woman looked at her strangely, and resolved to avoid the blond idiot at all costs. It shouldn't be difficult, he was probably in the largest studio which was on the top floor. Wishing him on a different floor was realistic even if her true desire of him being on another planet wasn't.

Just to be on the safe side she didn't step foot out of her studio for the entirety of the shoot and even stayed there to await Sai's call rather than down in the lobby. When it arrived, she made her way through the halls and corridors in such a stealthy manner that the Mission Impossible theme started playing in her head.

She got to the ground floor without incident and smiled as she started walking normally again. She turned the last-but-one corner before reaching the lobby and ploughed straight in to Mimori. The girl cried out, dropping the cans she'd been carrying, and both of them staggered backwards.

"Sorry." Kyoko mumbled as she recognised who she'd bumped into and quickly reached to pick up the cans. They were just variants of cola, thought packaged to look like alcohol.

"What are you doing here?" Mimori snarled, glaring at her for a moment before she caught herself and offered up a cute smile instead.

Kyoko held out the cans, willing Mimori to hurry up and take them so they could both be on their way. "I've just finished shooting Box-R and my ride back to LME is waiting for me."

"I'm starring in Sho-chan's new PV." she said with an air of superiority. Given she was dressed as a medieval princess, Kyoko had come to that conclusion on her own. "On the top floor in Studio One – that's the biggest studio here."

"That's nice. Shouldn't you be getting back? Best not to keep them waiting, it looks like you've got a very important role." Kyoko said, pushing down her envy of Mimori's princess dress.

Mimori stiffened defensively. "I was getting Sho-chan a drink – he asked me specially since I know what he likes. The vending machine down here is the only one with Black Venom."

Kyoko regarded the cans she still unfortunately held and snorted. It was exactly the sort of drink Sho would go for to look cool and she doubted he actually liked the things. Sending Mimori on such an errand sounded like him too and she was irrationally irked that the girl not only didn't realise she was being used but was happy about it.

"Well then, here you go – I'm sure you don't want him to die of thirst." she said, trying to keep how much she liked the idea out of her voice. She sighed in relief as Mimori finally snatched the cans back and moved to take her leave.

"So what did you do? You never answered at school. It must have been bad for the police to be called – did you steal the exam answers or something? I told Sho-chan all about it."

"Nothing of the sort." Kyoko said, looking back to give her a frosty smile. Frosty became frozen as she saw something blond and revolting had just joined them.

If Prince Charming ever got dropped in a blender with a biker, he would probably come out looking like Sho did right now. He was wearing all the trappings of a fairytale prince, right down to a cape and hair extensions that gave him long flowing locks, but it had been punked out with studs, leather and rips all over the place – some of them quite large and risqué.

"Fuwa-san." Kyoko greeted in a voice of doom, and quickly turned to leave.

He lunged forward before she could take more than two paces and grabbed her arm. "Kyoko! Wait up."

"Let me go!" she seethed and used what Ren had taught her to twist free. It was only temporary though as he then swung her round to face him and grabbed her again with both hands. She glared at him and gave serious consideration to using the 'kick him where it hurts and run for it' strategy.

"Pochi told me about what happened at school and I saw your place was broken into on the news. Don't tell me you've encouraged the Beagle again."

"I never encouraged him, and no it's got nothing to do with the Beagle. Or you for that matter, so let me go. I'm keeping my lift waiting."

His eyes narrowed. "Lift? You mean you've got that insert-wearing sissy playing chauffer now?"

"Tsuruga-san does not wear inserts! He's just that tall, which is taller than you, so get over it!" Kyoko snapped before she could stop herself. She took a deep breath and tried to force her temper under control. She really didn't want to make a scene. "And no, Sai-san was kind enough to offer me a ride."

"Who's Sai-san and why are you getting a lift anyway? It's not far to LME, why don't you walk?"

"I... that's none of your business! Get off me, idiot!" she said and struggled, but his grip was too firm for her to get away without actually doing him some damage. She was getting close, but her common sense was still prevailing over her demons for now.

"Like hell it's not! Something's not right, tell me what's going on."

"Nothing where you could be any use at all! So why don't you go back to playing Prince Hard-Rock-Charming or Malibu Barbie or whoever you're meant to be and leave me alone! You don't have to pretend to care, so LET ME GO!"

He fixed her with such an intense look she stopped struggling. "I'm not pret-" he said, but cut off and looked away for a second. When he looked back he wore a mocking smile that made Kyoko want to wipe it off wire a wire scourer. "Who says I care? You're just one of my things and it's my right to know the business of my things."

In the next instant, three people spoke at once and the situation deteriorated. Mimori burst in to tears and began hammering her fists on Sho's back, distressed at being ignored and hearing him say such words. Kyoko snarled out a quiet "let me go", trying to saturate her voice and eyes with exactly how close she was to ripping his arms off if he didn't comply. Finally, Sai called out her name as she rounded the corner from the lobby.

Roughly half a second later Kyoko found herself wrapped protectively in Ryuma's arms while Sho was stumbling back from his manager's hefty shove. Sai, who now more closely resembled a bear in a skirt-suit than a human, growled low in warning.

"Sai-san! It's okay, he's not the stalker, just a retard I happen to know." Kyoko called out as soon as her wits comprehended the situation.

Sai instantly calmed. "Oh! Sorry. I thought he was attacking you – it looked like he was."

"Wait, stalker? What stalker? And who are you?" he blustered, aiming the last part at Ryuma.

The idol flushed and stepped away from Kyoko, muttering a quick apology to her. "Sanada Ryuma. I'm a good friend of Kyoko-chan's."

"Good friend?" Sho asked as though he were speaking the name of a venereal disease. "How good?"

"None of your business! Now please excuse us. Good bye!" Kyoko snapped and turned to leave with Sai and her client scuttling to keep up. She made it all the way to the front doors before the sound of running footsteps made her cringe.

She could see Sai's car, she could make it if she ran. She would have been fine if she hadn't fumbled the handle in her haste. Instead of the car, they got a few steps out on to the street before Sho was grabbing her arm again.

Whatever he said was drowned out in the furious shriek Mimori emitted as she crashed in to Kyoko at a dead run. She almost certainly meant only to shove her away from Sho, however the strength of an angry person was hard to control. Kyoko ended up flying into road, right in the path of a minivan.

She closed her eyes and braced for impact, but rather than discovering if there was life after death she found herself wrapped in Sho's embrace as he yanked her to safety. Her heart was pounding and she irrationally tried to decide which fate was least undesirable.

If the sight of a punky Prince Charming and his lovely Princess running out into the street wasn't enough to draw attention, the sound of screaming breaks made sure of it. And of course there were plenty of spectators as a particularly popular actress had just arrived in a swarm of photographers and reporters.

Kyoko could do nothing but breathe erratically and stare at the spot on the road where life had nearly ended. The feel of her cheek being pressed into Sho's chest as he tightened his hold and slid his hand in her hair brought her crashing back to reality. She tried to pull away but yelped as she found her hair had snagged on one of the big studs running down his front.

"Let go!" she cried desperately, squirming and wincing in equal measure, but it was already too late. The crowd was gathering and cameras were flashing.

He seemed to shake himself out of his own shock and his arms fell away in an instant. "Damn it! _**You**_ let go!" he whispered harshly, trying to push her away harder and harder the more she resisted.

After a moment of fruitless groping to try and untangle her hair she gritted her teeth and yanked herself free with a hiss of pain as she left a large tuft behind. She stayed still just long enough to register the look of horror on Mimori's face around the hand she had clapped over her mouth then ran away as fast as her legs could manage. She dove in the car as soon as it opened and then Sai was driving away in a manner that left rubber on the tarmac.

"That," Sai sad gravely, "was unfortunate."

Kyoko moaned pitifully from the backseat and curled up into a ball of wretchedness.

* * *

><p>The president greeted her with a wry smile as Kyoko trooped miserably into his office. He motioned her to sit and she practically fell into the chair. Ryuma had been left in the waiting area while Sai had gone in with her and now took a seat to her left.<p>

"First of all, are you alright – I've been told you weren't injured but a close call with a minivan could certainly shake a person up."

"Yes, I'm fine – about that part anyway."

"Good. Now, about the other part, I'm afraid it's already a hot topic on gossip sites." he said with a droll look.

"I'm sorry." she wailed, and heard a rustle as Sai shifted beside her.

"It really wasn't her fault. That grabby singer chased her when she tried to leave and the lunatic princess pushed her in the road. I'm just glad Kyoko wasn't hurt and if anyone's to blame, it's me for not acting faster."

The president nodded and sent them a comforting smile. "Don't worry, I don't blame either of you, or young Sanada-kun. In fact I've just been on the phone to Akitoki accepting their unconditional apology for the incident. I had to accept of course but I did make it clear they ought to keep their talents on a shorter leash in future." he said and his eyes flashed. Kyoko felt a tiny jolt of happiness at the thought that just this once she had backup. "It's most regrettable it happened though – honestly, you don't do things by halves Mogami-kun! Chased out by a full-blown prince and almost murdered by his jealous princess, only to be snatched from the jaws of death into a lovers embrace by the most popular rock star in Japan, right under the noses of fifty reporters. If you were actually trying to cause a media sensation you couldn't have scripted it better."

"I didn't mean it, I really didn't."

"I know. Obviously they'll show selected pictures and video footage to suit their purposes, but I've seen the whole thing and know what really happened. I've also taken the liberty of informing Ren of the full circumstances to ensure no misunderstandings."

"Oh, thank you." Kyoko said distractedly. "Where did you see it?"

"It was up on the internet before you were halfway to LME."

Kyoko groaned then Lory turned a laptop around on his desk and she outright screamed. It was displaying a website with the headline 'Love-Split Drama! Rock Prince Spurns Princess For Natsu?' and had a picture of Sho and herself, still with Natsu's appearance, in one big pink heart with Ryuma and Mimori in their own jagged half-hearts on either side. The latter had the looks of horror her near-death lunge into the road had inspired, though like this it seemed as though the image of her and Sho embracing was the cause of their distress.

She couldn't look at the picture in the middle without shuddering. They both had their eyes closed and Sho was holding her to him with what looked like the ferocity of a lover with his right hand around her waist while his left cradled her head to his chest. It was around the moment she had discovered her hair was caught and her face was sort of screwed up in pain, though it could also be interpreted as desperate affection from this angle.

"We've been inundated with calls asking for confirmation of your relationship. We've denied it of course, but the press will make up their own minds. It'll make it on to TV tonight and be in the magazines tomorrow, we can't avoid that, but we should have the rumours shut down before too long. Our PR department is working with Akitoki's to come up with something that won't make either side look too bad so until then please go with 'no comment' if anyone approaches you."

Kyoko nodded and sighed. "Um, you explained what really happened to Tsuruga-san... did he seem angry?"

The president grinned. "No, he sounded more quietly resigned to me. Perhaps a little put out. I think you should probably speak to him about it yourself as soon as possible just to smooth things over – he'll be back here in a while and if you miss him then, well you both reside in the same complex now and I'm sure he wouldn't mind you visiting later."

She would have grimaced if a knock at the door hadn't sounded. Lory raised his brows at what appeared to be an unexpected interruption and called out for whoever it was to come in.

Kanae walked in, though Kyoko almost didn't recognise her even in the unmistakable pink overalls. She was pale and shaking, Kyoko had never seen her friend look so frightened. She held up a thorny red rose and Kyoko felt the colour drain from her own face.

"I just found this." Kanae said and her voice was trembling as well as her hands. "It was in Kyoko's locker in the Love Me room."

"WHAT?"

Kyoko gasped at the bellow. It had come from Lory, accompanied by the crash of his chair as he shot to his feet so fast he knocked it over. The president was eccentric and sometimes acted the fool, but there had never been any doubt in Kyoko's mind that he always had everything under control. Seeing his jaw hanging open in shock and his eyes wide with disbelief was almost as terrifying as the prospect that the security of LME had been breached by her stalker.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Apologies for the cliff-hanger, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible.<p> 


	10. Place of Safety

**Place of Safety**

Kyoko felt ill. The thought of her stalker posting a rose to her school had not frightened her, but the idea that he had someone entered LME and been in her locker chilled the marrow in her bones. She had lost another place of safety and the hunter had drawn the net a little tighter.

Her stomach flip-flopped and she hugged her arms around her as she glanced at the door to Lory's side office. Satoshi was currently inside performing an impromptu interview. The president had called for an immediate review of the security camera footage from the corridor outside the Love Me room, and a single person other than Kanae had been seen entering.

There were no cameras or views inside the room as it also served as a changing area and locker room, but one did have a good view of the full corridor it was set in. Only the LME janitor had gone in last night. Old Gen as he was generally known had arrived to start his shift shortly after he had been identified on the security footage and the president had called him up to await the arrival of the inspector.

Kyoko sighed. She still couldn't believe that Old Gen could be the stalker, it seemed surreal. She remembered the instinctive fear she had felt in his presence the other night and shivered. She had not felt it since, not even when he had limped past her a few minutes ago.

The president was grim-faced as he waited with her and Kanae for the inspector to emerge. Sai and Ryuma had offered to stay, but Kyoko had waved them off not wanting to trouble any more people than she had to. They needed rest after their recent erratic sleep patterns and had reluctantly agreed to leave her with the president and Kanae, and Ren as soon as he finished his last appointment for the day.

The door to the side office slammed open and Gen limped out angrily, moving in Kyoko's direction as fast as he could. Kanae stiffened beside her, but Kyoko couldn't feel much of anything as he came to a halt in front of her.

"Ya don't really think I'd do those things, do ya?" he said, craggy face creasing further in a grimace.

Kyoko thought about it, chewing on her lower lip. "No." she said honestly. Right now she really wasn't afraid of the old man.

"Good. You and that young fella from the hospital are about the only one's who're kind to me. Wouldn't want you believing I wish you harm." he said gruffly and sagged a little in relief. "Go careful now."

Kanae scowled, apparently less than convinced, but Gen was already shuffling away and an unhappy looking inspector stepped up to take his place in front of them.

"He's eighty-three years old, arthritic, asthmatic, has a legitimate gammy leg and bad heart and to top it all he has chronic hay fever. He nearly sneezed himself into a seizure when I took the rose within five feet of him. He claims he took Widow Bujima from the senior centre out dancing the night of the Darumaya break in. He did fight in a war, but he has no criminal record or artistic tendencies so unless he has an accomplice he's cleared."

"Artistic tendencies? Is that important?"

"Oh yes, I meant to say. We got more detailed results on the traces found in the box from the Darumaya – the white spirit had a complete absence of residual sulphur and was specifically Odourless Mineral Spirit, and the variant of weasel turned out to be sable. Hog and sable hair are the brushes of choice for oil painters, as is that particular type of white spirit for cleaning them. Do you know any oil painters?"

Satoshi ran a hand over his face and sighed as Kyoko shook her head. "Something here doesn't add up. The security in this place is exactly what you'd expect for somewhere that regularly contains the biggest celebrities in the country – it's a fortress. There's no way for anyone to get in to the locked down areas without a pass even if they manage to get by the monitors and guards."

Lory had gone through the security setup while Gen was being interviewed, half for their benefit and half to try and work out what had gone wrong, and it sounded pretty comprehensive to Kyoko. Each member of staff had their own pass card that allowed a certain amount of access to the building – the door sensors had a range of three feet and unlocked automatically, so Kyoko had never really thought about it.

Every time a door sensor was triggered it recorded the pass that had activated it and any other passes within range – even if ten people went through the door after one had unlocked it they were all logged. If a person without any pass was detected an alarm was raised – this part was a little unreliable and could sometimes be fooled if several people went through a door at once, but someone without a card would be discovered eventually. Guest passes could be issued, though they were encoded with the recipient's name and expired after a day.

Other than the doors, LME also had a full security system and a team of guards. She was vaguely interested to learn that on her first day at LME after failing the audition she had only made it as far as she did during her infiltration plan because the security team had been told about her. She flushed a little to hear she'd given them a good laugh at her dubious ninja skills.

There was no way for someone without a pass card to get beyond the public reception and there was no way a suspicious person would not be noticed by the guards or caught on tape. There was no way it could not have been Gen on the footage entering the Love Me room, and now Satoshi said there was no way it could have been Gen.

It was impossible whichever way she looked at it and it was starting to make her head spin. If Lory's expression was anything to go by then he was in a similar state, and that disconcerted her more than anything. She was allowed to be confused, but if the president was unnerved then her entire sense of stability was undermined.

"I'm going to help review the security tapes personally." the president abruptly announced after pacing back and forth for a while.

"We didn't find anything useful in the, uh, 'Love Me' room – no fingerprints but a lot of DNA. My gut feeling is that all samples will be from the people we'd expect to have been there, but I'll get them back to the lab and have them analysed just in case. We already have elimination samples from previous incidents – please let me know if there's anyone else I should pluck a few hairs from, and of course if anything turns up from the cameras."

Lory nodded and Satoshi took his leave. "Mogami-kun, please join me, I don't want you out of my sight until we get to the bottom of this. Kotonami-kun, of course you're welcome to come too."

Kyoko grimaced and followed the suddenly purposeful man down to the main security room. The corridors seemed somehow darker now and their footsteps echoed louder than she remembered. Every unfamiliar face she saw made her heart beat faster and she unconsciously stole closer to the president.

* * *

><p>After two hours of sitting in the security room, Kyoko decided that reviewing any sort of security footage was a lot more interesting when people did it on television. Even in the fascinatingly high-tech centre with its massive grid of six-by-six monitors she couldn't help but feel bored.<p>

After a second review of last night had still yielded nothing of note, they had gone back further in search of something suspicious.

Bored was dangerous, and she desperately tried to focus on something to avoid thinking too deeply about the fact the stalker had been in her locker.

She had nothing of any real value there, but the thought that he'd touched her things, her clothes, was an invasion of privacy that made her throat constrict. She stared at the top right monitor, willing herself to concentrate wholly on the deserted hallway it showed her in black and white. When that failed she focussed on the technician instead, a wiry thin young man with glasses and an obvious crush on Kanae.

Even that grew tiresome after a few minutes when Kanae did nothing but ignore him and stare at the screens and she almost slumped in relief when Ren and Yashiro arrived. The latter paused to greet the president but Ren went straight to her and crouched down next to where she sat on the floor.

"I heard what happened." he said, not bothering to ask something silly like if she was okay, and reached out his hand to squeeze her shoulder just by her neck. She smiled a little and put her hand over his briefly before shooting to her feet so quick he nearly fell over backwards in surprise. "Mogami..."

"I'm sorry for the incident at the studio." she said, dropping in to a deep bow. "I never meant to cause a scene, least of all with that idiot."

He blinked as he rose back to his full height then his eyes widened in comprehension. "Oh that. The president already told me about that, he said it wasn't your fault."

"Yes, but he said you sounded put out when he told you, so I thought I'd better apologise as soon as possible."

He gently pulled her upright with a wry smile and the faintest of blushes. "I was... annoyed at the idea of you being romantically linked with Fuwa but as long as the rumours are unfounded then it's okay."

"They are." she said with no indecision at all then frowned as she tried to make sense of his logic. Surely it didn't matter if they were true, just that they had come to exist. She was about to voice her thoughts when Yashiro joined them.

"I'm sorry for what happened, it must have been awful finding something like that inside LME." he said with a sympathetic look.

"It was Moko-san that found it – she said she looked in my locker when she saw it was ajar. She said it wasn't like me to be that careless. It might have been a few days before it was found if she hadn't."

Yashiro shuddered. "It's not nice to think he got in to this building, the president seems very upset. He said he's going to have the whole security setup looked into and won't leave this room until they figure out what happened."

Kanae suddenly captured the attention of everyone in the room by pouncing forward over the console with an expression of intense concentration.

"Kotonami-kun?"

Kanae ignored the president and spoke to the technician instead, though her eyes didn't move from the wall of monitors. "Are these all in synch? Everything on each one is happening at the same time, right?"

"Give or take a second." the technician said with a nod.

"That's Old Gen, isn't it?" she asked pointing to an upper-left screen. It displayed a man on the roof listing to one side as he sucked on a sly cigarette. A plume of smoke billowed on the black and white monitor then the man looked almost directly at the camera such that his distinctive features were clearly visible.

"It is." Lory said in a disapproving tone. "But he's been cleared."

"Yes, but if that's Gen," Kanae said and moved her finger to point at a screen to the lower-right, "then who's that?"

Kyoko blinked. This screen showed Gen in the corridor outside the Love Me room mopping the floor. She felt the back of her neck tingle. The gaze of everyone flicked back and forth like spectators at a slightly askew tennis match.

"When was this taken?" Lory asked with a dark expression.

"Three days ago."

Kyoko flinched as Kanae suddenly shot on screen, running for the Love Me room with the sort of gait that suggested she was covered in spiders. Her own image followed, laughing, and Kyoko felt her heart miss a beat. It was the end of the day they had started on the old storage room, she realised, and the only time she had felt a trill of fear from the old janitor.

She sneezed on the monitor and turned as the second Gen said something and she replied before turning away. She remembered he had said 'bless you' and she had wished his cold better soon – he had been wearing a mask, though right now she doubted very much if it had been because of illness. Watching it from this perspective she swallowed hard at the way the janitor lightly caressed his mop handle before resuming his cleaning. With a methodical slowness he moved closer and closer to the door and Kyoko's breath quickened with every inch until he suddenly turned away and moved to the other side of the corridor.

Ren came into view and entered the room after knocking. Kanae burst out and lingered in the doorway a moment gesticulating awkwardly before disappearing off-screen then herself and Ren walked out soon after and also disappeared.

The second Gen had glanced up from his work and watched her the whole way. Kyoko felt a nasty prickle down her spine as she then returned alone – to retrieve Princess Rosa, she remembered – and flew back into the Love Me room out of view.

The janitor watched her. He looked up and down the corridor then set his mop aside and slowly crept forward, his limp suddenly gone. He moved like a predator, stopping in the doorway. His fingers slide up and down the frame as though slowly petting a cat then his other hand reached for the door as he took a step forward into the room.

Kyoko wanted to look away but her eyes were stuck and she had no choice but to watch. She felt light-headed, dizzy, and for some reason anxious. She knew it was irrational, she watching past events whose outcomes were known, but still a profound relief flooded her as he jerked back towards his discarded mop moments before most of Ren materialised at the bottom of the screen. Kyoko watched herself jog to join him, then turn and wave to the janitor. She only saw now the exact way in which he waved back: slowly and with flexing fingers.

Silence filled the room until Kyoko was sure she could hear white noise from the monitors creeping over her senses.

"Find out how this happened." Lory said, outrage and shock detectable in his voice.

"Y-yes sir." the technician stammered and lunged for a computer terminal. He typed furiously and then paused to stare at the screen before renewing his attack on the keyboard. He did this a couple of times before he finally looked up. "I think I may know what happened and why the logs don't show anything suspicious at first glance. Two months ago Watanabe Gen reported his pass destroyed so he was issued with a clone. He said he'd thrown it into an incinerator by accident with a load of trash, but if it wasn't actually destroyed and someone got hold of it then it would still work."

"Why wasn't the original deactivated?"

The technician blushed. "It's quicker to make a clone with the same pass ID than a whole new pass when it's a replacement and the employee details are already on record. It's effectively the same card – cancelling one will cancel the clone too. He said it was incinerated, so it looks like someone just made him a copy quickly rather than go through the proper process. It's not anywhere in the company policy, but the machine that makes the cards has a clone option."

Lory bent down so he was eye to eye with the technician. "From now on, one card for each employee. No exceptions. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Cancel Watanabe's pass and issue him a new one. An entirely new one. Following company policy exactly."

"I-I've already taken the liberty. I just need your signature on the form once I print it out."

Lory nodded and glared at the printer until it gave in and beeped. "Who is responsible for this?"

"It didn't go through the system so I can't be sure, but it was most likely Kobayashi." the technician said, licking his lips.

"Kobayashi-san who retired last month?"

"Yes sir."

"How convenient."

"Y-yes sir."

"Get back to reviewing the logs and footage – I want to know exactly how long this imposter has been popping in and out of my building as he pleases and the extent of his infiltration. I'll expect your report soon. Oh, and make sure someone takes his new card to Watanabe-san as soon as it's ready, he's probably stuck somewhere right now in a very bad mood."

The technician bobbed his head and Lory stormed out. Kyoko and her entourage scrambled to follow, and she felt a little better with the knowledge of how someone had got in to LME and that the hole was now plugged. Still the corridors seemed gloomier as they trooped back to the president's office and she couldn't help but shiver even though it wasn't cold.


	11. Jealousy

**Jealousy**

After the incident at LME, Ren took her home and insisted she stay in his apartment at least for a while – he didn't like to think of her being alone even if Sai was only sleeping and not actually absent. She was tired and too shaken to argue, and to take her mind off things she cooked. A lot. Some people drank to forget their sorrows, others cleaned or exercised and on this occasion Kyoko cooked.

She ended up preparing so much food she could have invited five Hizuri Kuu's over and they wouldn't have left wanting. Ren allowed her to do as she pleased and actually ate far more than she expected before holding up his hands in surrender. He seemed somewhat surprised to find he owned tupperwear when Kyoko got it out to pack up the leftovers.

After the monstrous dinner was cleared he astonished her by producing a Disney princess DVD. She practically melted on the couch as the opening titles of Sleeping Beauty came on and having previously told him of her dismay that Kanae refused to watch Disney films with her she was touched by his obvious effort to cheer her up.

About three quarters of the way through she noticed he'd fallen asleep and she giggled quietly at seeing him slumped back on the cushions. She watched as a lock of hair fell in his face and she reached out automatically to brush it aside when his nose wrinkled.

Her fingertips had grazed his forehead and the moment her skin touched his she felt the box inside her rattle. It had been doing that with increasing frequency of late, and earlier the cause had become clear to her. The feelings that had flooded her when his hand squeezed her shoulder and caused her own fingers to reach for his had been impossible to misinterpret.

She swallowed hard and slowly retracted her hand. Kyoko was not stupid and there was only so long she could keep rejecting her own emotions with explanations she had to force herself to half-believe. In the security room it had been fairly easy to gloss over them and divert attention, but now as she watched him sleep with romantic music playing in the background it was impossible.

Ren was handsome, inhumanly so, and possessed qualities that anyone would admire. It was hardly surprising he was the most popular celebrity in Japan and known as a co-star killer, but there was more to him than that. She knew he could be petty and stubborn and childish too. He didn't eat properly and had trouble spelling sometimes. There was a darkness to him that frightened her even thought she had so far only glimpsed at it. He wasn't some sort of perfect god, but a man with his own flaws and problems, and she could have written off her feelings as infatuation if not for that.

The last lock on the box was hanging on just barely, and she knew she would be in real trouble if she wasn't certain of the futility of acknowledging her feelings. He was in love with someone else and even if he wasn't he'd hardly think of her in that way. She was still safe as long as that didn't change.

She yelped as her phone vibrated in her pocket, the sound startling him awake and he rubbed at his eyes as she spoke in hushed tones.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she hung up and he saw her face.

"That was the president. They've finished going over the security stuff and confirmed the stalker's been getting inside LME since just after Gen lost his pass two months ago. Also our PR department finally managed to get a story worked out with Akitoki's that they're both happy with." she said in a monotone, the reminder of the other two crisis situations in her life leaving her utterly drained. She just wanted to crawl into bed and enter an unconscious state for a hundred years. Sleeping Beauty had no idea how lucky she was, Kyoko thought bitterly as she glanced at the television. "He wants me to go in through the front entrance tomorrow and talk to the reporters on purpose. They thought about putting us on a talk show or something but decided that would only hype it up more. Sai's going to take me in and I just have to play it down and make the whole idea sound absurd. If that doesn't work then they'll think up something else."

Ren nodded. "That doesn't sound too bad, and the sooner the rumours are cleared up the better – making them out to be so ridiculous they're not even worth actively denying is probably the best way to do it. It was unfortunately in public, but at least nothing too damning happened."

"I've never spoken to reporters before. I'd feel better if the story was, well, better – apparently the idiot- I mean Fuwa and Mimori saw me by coincidence and chased me out just to say hello and make sure I was alright after hearing about the Darumaya break in. Mimori went with him because we're such good friends at school. She tripped over her dress and accidentally knocked me in the road then Fuwa pulled me back, as he would anyone. Sai yanked me off so quick in case I was in shock. The only true part is how the pictures are so misleading."

"Well, think of it as an acting exercise. You've been given a bad plot that you have to sell with your abilities. Would you like to practice a bit?"

"Yes, that would be very helpful, thank you. I should get going soon though, it's getting late."

"You're welcome to stay over if you want."

Kyoko shook her head firmly. "No, I've already imposed on you enough tonight, and I wouldn't want to inconvenience Sai-san in the morning."

He smiled in understanding then spontaneously took on the persona of a tenacious reporter. She was exhausted by the time he walked her down to Sai's apartment, though felt slightly happier to have practised until her responses and reactions to the difficult questions became natural. It gave her one less thing to worry about, but that still left so many that she barely slept at all that night.

* * *

><p>Ren was concentrating so hard on the video playing on his phone that he didn't notice Yashiro approach until his manager was practically breathing down his neck as he leaned over Ren's shoulder to see the screen.<p>

"Ah, Kyoko's exercise effort at blasé – so how did she do?"

Ren closed the video as it ended with Kyoko entering the main doors of LME chuckling and shaking her head. "Very well. She answered every question they threw at her exactly as we rehearsed. I'd give her an A grade."

"Not an A-plus?" Yashiro asked, raising his brows.

"She let a killing aura slip out for a second when someone asked if she was in love with Fuwa. Even so, as long as Fuwa and the other girl are able to do half as well then I doubt anyone will think it a story worth pursuing for long. I'll check to see if videos of them have been uploaded yet after this shoot finishes. The rumours should die down eventually, this time."

Yashiro frowned and sighed. "Yes, it's only a matter of time before at least some of their past comes to light. Kyoko-chan was lucky this time – the incident was so blatantly public it was practically a scripted media stunt. Something more subtle would have been more believable."

"It was bad enough." Ren grumbled.

"It's definitely juicy gossip, but the more reputable publications will drop it soon if there are no further incidents. The sleazier ones will take longer but everything should be alright as long as nothing fuels the fire. Kyoko's reputation should come out of it okay, but we need to pray no one says anything about past events – they haven't yet so it's hopeful. Of course you realise the best way to prevent any further rumours or investigation into the relationship between Fuwa and Kyoko-chan would be if she started dating someone else."

Ren did realise, but chose to smile questioningly instead of admit it. The idea of suggesting she date him just to dispel the rumours had entered his mind, but he had dismissed it almost immediately. He didn't want a pretend relationship even if it might lead to a real one later. He wanted a real one from the start or nothing, and was not eager to explain himself if Yashiro brought it up.

His progress towards this goal had been painfully slow, though recently he felt they had become closer even if he hated the circumstances under which this acceleration had taken place. She had started reaching out for him and for a moment during their self defence lesson he had been certain she had seen him as a man. He flushed a little as he recalled the spectacle he'd made of drinking a glass of water, and while she hadn't reacted to that he was sure he had distracted her.

He remembered the feel of her pressed against him, the scent of her hair and the fire that had burned his cheek as his skin touched hers. It had taken all the restraint he possessed not to kiss her. He couldn't help but grimace at the unpleasant irony, during one of the worst times in her life he had never allowed himself to hope so much he might one day gain her affection.

Yashiro clearly planned on continuing the conversation, but Ren's break was over and he happily left his manager sulking to resume the photo shoot. He avoided his manager when his next break came around by calling Kyoko to tell her she had done a good job and enquire after her dinner plans. She was busy but had been strangely evasive as to what she was doing exactly, and he resolved to find out the truth the next time he saw her.

The next time he checked his phone it was on his way out and he was surprised to find he had a missed call and voicemail from Sai. By the time he had listened to the message he was running.

* * *

><p>Kyoko was not really in the right frame of mind to play Bo that evening. Not enough rest combined with recent events and having to deal with the gaggle of reporters that had been waiting for her that morning had put her about as far from careless frolicking as it was possible to be.<p>

Her face hurt from all the fake smiling, but she took comfort from the fact that the rumours were already starting to die down just a little. It would be a long time before they disappeared entirely but the trend was now in motion and she had succeeded in making the whole thing sound rather dull. All she had to do was wait and stay away from Sho, one single picture of them together in the near future would ruin everything. It sounded easy, but her luck she couldn't help but worry.

Finally getting through all the disturbing questions and making it in to LME had not caused the flood of relief she had hoped for. The corridors had still seemed darker and the Love Me room had felt tainted. Sai had not left her alone for a moment and Kyoko had been grateful. Even the review of a new role offer with Sawara had failed to lift her spirits much.

Ren had called to congratulate her for her performance, but the improvement in mood this caused was soon erased when he asked her what she was doing later. She had to stumble her way through an excuse for why she was occupied and silently thanked Sai for agreeing to take her to Bridge Rock and to the unexplained pact of secrecy she had begged for.

The guests tonight were three stars from a hospital drama called 'Intensive Care' and as such Bo's costume had been fitted out with a surgical mask, stethoscope and a white coat with a thermometer in the top pocket which Kyoko dropped when she put it on.

Sai retrieved it for her before she could bend down and lose the stethoscope too, and went with her to collect the guests when it was time to start the show. Kyoko dug deep and managed to put a joyful bounce in her step as she walked up to the dressing room door.

It was wrenched open when she knocked, revealing two men and a woman who were clearly not the best of friends. All three were very good looking, even while glaring death at each other.

"It's the chicken." one of the men said contemptuously. "Why don't you sleep with that too?"

Kyoko blinked under the costume and gave an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders on reflex – she was in character now.

The woman flung back her arm and Kyoko was sure she would have slapped him viciously if the other man hadn't grabbed her wrist.

"For crying out loud you two, can you please just pretend you don't want to rip out each other's liver for the next hour? I'm sorry it didn't work out between you but these things happen. Those morons from 'Emergency Admission' are filming an interview tonight too and we have to get better ratings. If people don't see all that juicy chemistry they love so much between us they'll switch channels."

The woman snarled and yanked her hand back. She growled something unrepeatable, not to mention anatomically infeasible, then they all painted on lovely smiles that had Kyoko looking back nervously over her shoulder the whole time as she led them to set.

She dug out her professionalism and frolicked throughout the show as 'Doctor Bo, MC' (Medical Chicken). It was actually one of her best performances if the audience reaction was anything to go by, she could see tears of laughter streaming down more than one face by the time the show ended. Sai was one of them as she met Kyoko offstage.

"That was incredible!" she said between sniggers. Her grin faded as the three guests charged past and the woman threw a glass of water into her apparent ex's face the moment they were out of sight of the audience. The three glared at each other for a few seconds then turned and stormed off in different directions. Kyoko lifted her wing to draw circles in the air around her ear and Sai nodded solemnly before breaking into giggles again. "Seriously, I don't know why you wouldn't want anyone to know you're Bo – that was a brilliant performance. You should be proud." she said as they walked to the area Kyoko used for changing in and out of the suit.

"Oh, I am, it's just, um, complicated." Kyoko muttered as took off the top half of the costume and sucked in a breath of fresh air. She put the bulky suit aside, and noticed a box sitting nearby. It looked like a plain white shoebox, tied with string along the length and width. An envelope was held in place where the string crossed on the lid and Kyoko felt her stomach turn as she saw it was addressed to Natsu. The writing was the same angry block capitals that had been used for Hiyama's note as opposed to the elegant script that she was used to seeing.

"Kyoko? What is it?" Sai asked from such close proximity that Kyoko jumped. Her eyes narrowed as they found the box and she rifled through her bag to produce a pair of latex gloves. "I was hoping I wouldn't ever need to use these." she said grimly as she slipped them on and reached for the envelope.

It contained two sheets of paper, one in tact with writing and the other a picture printout that had been ripped into pieces. Once reassembled the picture of Sho and herself dressed as Natsu in a big pink heart was revealed, only Sho's head had been scribbled out.

They read the other sheet and turned to look at the box with trepidation. Sai reached for it, sliding the string off without undoing the knot and lifted the lid.

It did not contain a rose. The bottom was covered with a sparkly, velvety sort of material that reminded Kyoko of the heavy backdrops she'd seen in jewellery shop display cases. It was the sort of thing she'd love if it wasn't acting as a cushion for a decapitated rat.

Sai quickly replaced the lid. "I'll call the police."

Kyoko nodded vaguely. She sat down as a wave of nausea hit her and covered her mouth with her hand. She stared at the box and somehow it didn't matter that she couldn't see the contents because she knew what was in it.

Half a dead rat was definitely worse than a whole one, she thought recalling the conversation she'd had with Kanae, and the note that accompanied the furry corpse made it worse still.

'Cheating rats get what they deserve. Do not betray our love, Natsu.'

Kyoko rubbed at the goosebumps that had risen on her arms then leapt to her feet as someone knocked and entered. Her hand was already formed into a fist by the time she recognised Hikaru, and she deflated instantly.

"Uh, I was just wanted to say thanks for your hard work tonight, you were really great, and I was wondering if you wanted to get something to eat? Hey, are you okay?"

Sai covered her phone and strode up to him. "She just found a headless rat in that box. Stay with her while I make some calls please."

Hikaru looked bewildered but nodded and sat down next to her. She welcomed the comfort offered by the presence of another even though she found herself wishing for the warmth of someone else.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: thank you to everyone for reading and for reviewing! :) I'm glad to hear my OCs aren't too terrible for the most part or attempting world domination – I was very dubious about putting so many in :S<p>

I saw a couple of questions so thought I'd have a go at answering: I'm afraid the chapter names have no special meaning beyond being the first word/few words that came to mind after thinking about the content – I wish I had a deeper or more exciting explanation lol – and that's also the reason I used the name Kobayashi. Chiori might well make an appearance later, I haven't decided for sure yet.


	12. A Chicken Unmasked

**A Chicken Unmasked**

Kyoko glared a hole in the floor as her mind churned. She put in a lot of effort, though progress was largely circular so she ended up with little more to show for it than a headache. The nausea had taken a while to fade, and still lingered just under the surface, to be mostly replaced by a strong need to make sense of it all. The stalker had taken action so many times that she was sure it must be possible to figure something out about him. She couldn't help but tremble every time she thought of the box and its gruesome contents, and it infuriated her and much as it frightened her.

The inspector had arrived with his lieutenant and another plain-clothes officer a few minutes ago, but Kyoko had been too deep in thought and barely noticed their presence except to offer them a silent thank you for their discretion.

The preliminaries were taken care of quickly – no one remembered seeing anyone suspicious carrying a box, though that didn't count for much in a busy studio, and there were no fingerprints on the box – and Satoshi moved to sit next to Kyoko, knocking her out of her reverie. She was surprised to find Hikaru gone and a note in her hand from him that said to call him on the number he'd written if she needed anything. Grimacing because frankly she'd had enough of notes, benign or otherwise, she stuffed it in her bag.

"Did you find anything useful?" she asked.

"No. Unfortunately this place is rather like the Darumaya in that they actually invite the public in. The security is better here, but not as locked down as LME, so it's possible an audience member could have slipped backstage. I would expect they had experience of being on the other side to pull it off without being noticed though."

"You think it could be another actor?"

Satoshi nodded slowly. "Maybe, or someone associated with show business by another means."

"I've been thinking about it, and I'm not sure the description fits." she said, tilting her head as she tried to put her thoughts into coherent order. "Tall and well-built doesn't make sense... I wasn't really looking, but if that imposter had been too different to Watanabe-san then I would have noticed, and he's thin. I make voodoo dolls so I tend to notice people's builds."

Satoshi's brows shot up. "Voodoo dolls?" he asked weakly then shook his head. "Never mind, I don't think I want to know. Well, guessing at an assailant's physical appearance based on the aftermath of an attack is as much art as science I'm told, so I wouldn't rule out a pygmy stick insect if it had means, motive and opportunity. They're not often too far out though – I've found doctors are usually pretty good at interpreting those kinds of injury."

"Oh, I see." Kyoko said, disappointed that her revelation was not in fact all that revealing. "I've also been thinking about how he could have got hold of Watanabe-san's pass in the first place. The security guy said that they cloned his card when Watanabe-san told them his was destroyed, but is it possible that the stalker went and requested it in disguise?"

"No, we spoke to Watanabe-san and confirmed it after Takarada-san updated me on the situation. He said," he paused to pull out his notebook and flip through it, "'Sodding thing was definitely there before I loaded up Betsy but gone after the old gal was running. I couldn't find my pass wallet on the floor nowhere when I looked so I figured it must have fallen out my pocket and gone in at some point – I knew it must have been destroyed, nothing that goes in Betsy comes out whole'."

"Darn." Kyoko almost growled in frustration. "I think you mean 'Bertha' by the way."

"Bertha?"

"He calls the incinerator Bertha, not Betsy." she said distractedly with a wave of her hand and Satoshi glared angrily at his notebook. "Ugh! I can't think how anyone could have gotten hold of it at all. Even if it was just lost and not destroyed then someone would need a pass to get to it in the first place, not to mention psychic powers to know Watanabe-san had lost it and to find it when he couldn't. There's no way anyone could have taken it if Watanabe-san lost it in or around the LME incinerator."

Satoshi frowned and rubbed at his temples. "Indeed. We're treating the card machine as the most likely source of the cloned pass. There's only one clone for Watanabe-san in the logs but apparently it's not impossible to tamper with the entries if you have access and know what you're doing. It's possible this Kobayashi-san might have made two by accident and not disposed of one of them properly – by all accounts he did cut a few corners. It's not likely, but just about within the realm of credulity, though if he wiped one log entry I don't see why he left the other. Unfortunately he's currently on a cruise with his wife to celebrate his retirement so we're having trouble verifying if this could have happened."

Kyoko opened her mouth excitedly but the inspector cut her off.

"We checked, and he definitely is on the ship."

Kyoko closed her mouth and slumped back in defeat. "Do you think he'll go after Mimori or the idiot?" she asked after a moment, looking down at her lap. She didn't particularly like either of them but she didn't wish them active harm. Well, not like this anyway.

Satoshi pursed his lips. "I think he will if he can. Given that Hiyama-san was attacked just for saying something mildly insulting about your Natsu character, we were concerned that he could target Fuwa-san or more likely Nanokura-san. She did nearly kill you after all, and while you were dressed as Natsu. We contacted Akitoki after the incident was publicised to warn them of a possible threat to their talents – without giving out anything personal about you of course – so they know to be watchful. I'm half hoping he will make a failed attempt on one of them."

"Is a policeman allowed to hope for that?" Kyoko asked dubiously.

"I did specify a _**failed**_ attempt." he said with a defensive sniff. "Something's been bothering me for a while, and it would clear things up a bit if he did try. He'd been stalking you for some time before he actually made a move which infers he had to learn all about you first. He had to watch you in order to know where you lived and went on a daily basis – given his actions since he made contact, I have to believe he would have done it sooner if he could have done. You're the one he's fixated on, but he was able to find Hiyama-san at the worst moment in a relatively short space of time. He could have just been extremely lucky and seen her, and I could believe an impromptu defence of Natsu's honour was what triggered him to make contact with you in the first place except your first rose arrived before the attack. You didn't find it until the day after, but it was left there before. I think the whole thing was planned and he knew exactly when Hiyama-san would be most vulnerable. So why did he know so much about Hiyama-san so quickly, but he had to stalk you for two months?"

"Maybe he knows Hiyama-san personally? If he is somehow related to show business, they might be with the same agency?"

"That was my thinking." Satoshi said and Kyoko smiled wryly that one of her theories had gained his approval. "I'm almost certain he must have had insider information regarding Hiyama-san. She's with Akitoki so if he does try anything against Fuwa-san or Nanokura-san it'll be a real possibility, and would provide a connection to you."

"Those rumours are absolutely false. I have no connection to Akitoki or that idiot." Kyoko said in a dark tone.

"Actually I was referring to the PV you did with, uh, Fuwa-san. You did come into contact with a number of their staff at that time, right? And I hear you were quite captivating as an angel – someone could have taken notice of you there, then seeing you as Natsu might have pushed them over the edge."

"I can't believe that's possible, and I never kept in touch with anyone from there who could possibly be the stalker."

"Nanokura-san is a school friend of yours, it's possible she might have let something slip. Friends do that sort of thing unwittingly more often than you'd think."

"Um, I don't think we're friends. She hates me and thinks I'm trying to steal the moron she likes."

Satoshi chuckled humourlessly. "Yes, I saw the entertainment news. It didn't look like she tripped over her dress when she pushed you."

Kyoko groaned and dropped her head in her hands. "The one time Tsuruga-san doesn't misunderstand, someone else does. Gentlemanly smiles or decapitated rodents... I'm not sure which is worse."

"About the rat, I've never attempted to determine time of death for one before, but I'd place it somewhere around two days ago. That means it was dead before he decided he had cause to give it to you, and it was definitely deceased before the head was removed – I'll have the lab confirm but it looks like a short, sharp blade was used."

"So he had a dead rat on hand? What sort of person has dead rats lying around?" Kyoko asked, shuddering.

"Apparently the deluded sort. The note he left suggests he believes you're already in a relationship with him, and makes his feelings about any sort of betrayal on your part all too clear. He's been sending you roses so far which is generally taken as a romantic gesture. He probably sees all this as a sort of courtship with Natsu. However, he has attacked a young woman before and I strongly urge you to stay on your guard. I would advise you and boyfriend to keep your relationship secret at this time."

Kyoko stiffened. "My... what? You mean the man who was with me earlier? He's just one of the presenters, he's not my b-boyfriend."

"No, I meant-" Satoshi cut off as someone strode in and made a beeline for Kyoko. "I meant him." he continued, nodding towards the new arrival.

"Tsuruga-san!" she shrieked, rocketing to her feet with wild eyes.

"Mogami-san, are you alright? Sai-san called to explain what happened but I didn't hear her message until just now – what are you doing here anyway..." he trailed off as his eyes lowered, first to her legs, which were still in the bottom half of Bo's costume, then to where the top half was lying off to the side. He looked back and forth between the two damning pieces of evidence for several seconds before he spoke. "You're Bo?"

Kyoko wrung her hands together and cowered at his tone. She risked a glance at his face but it was completely blank. She began a tirade of apologies and would have dropped into a dogeza of epic proportions, but his hand shot out to cover her mouth and he froze her with an intensely cold look.

"We'll discuss it later."

Kyoko flinched. She feared later.

"For now, I'm glad to see you're alright." He sounded genuine, but there was something a bit off in his smile. "A threatening note with something like that must have shaken you up."

All she could do was nod. She was surprised he didn't walk out immediately, let alone stayed until the inspector was finished. Ren's obvious surprise at her role had led to him questioning how the stalker could have found out if she kept it a secret. Kyoko assumed he'd overheard her talking with Kanae about it while posing as the LME janitor, and then Sai was bustling to take her home.

Sai had to take Ryuma to his night shoot soon, and concerned about leaving her on her own. She had left a message with Kanae asking her if she could spend the night but she hadn't come back to confirm and Sai was comforted when Ren said he would stop by after he had dropped Yashiro home. Kyoko had not felt so comforted and practically worked herself into an anguished frenzy during the car ride home, barely noticing as Sai apologised profusely for spilling the secret she assumed Ren already knew about.

* * *

><p>Ren drove with a frown etched on his features, vaguely aware that his manager kept shooting him anxious glances as he tried to concentrate on the road.<p>

"I know you don't like Kyoko-chan keeping secrets from you, and finding out it was her in that costume was definitely a shock, but you seem awfully upset. I thought you liked Bo." Yashiro said tentatively.

Ren felt the muscles in his jaw clench. "Yes, I did. I liked Bo enough to discuss various elements of my personal life with 'him', including a certain crisis of the heart."

Yashiro gasped. "You didn't confess to the chicken, did you?"

"I told 'him' I was in love with a schoolgirl and 'he' encouraged me to pursue her."

"She knew all along and, what, was just pretending?"

Ren let out a blast of air. "I don't know, but I plan to find out."

"No, I can't believe it." Yashiro said quietly, joining Ren in a frown. "All else aside, it's not possible based on ability. Maybe now, but back then she just wasn't good enough to pull it off, and after knowing her this long I can't believe she's capable of stringing someone along like that."

"I know. That's my one hope." Ren mumbled as he resisted the urge to smack his forehead into the steering wheel. "I never said her name, only 'a schoolgirl'. I'm trying to work out if it's possible for someone to be that dense."

Yashiro drummed his fingers on the dashboard and bit his lip. "She has absolutely no self-confidence and she reacts to the idea of love the way most girls react to finding a tarantula in their purse. It'd surprise me if she didn't think you meant her, but it wouldn't shock me."

"That's roughly the conclusion I'd come to. I have to know one way or the other."

"Ren, you do realise that if you confront her about it then she'll know too? She'll know your feelings, without a doubt. I mean, if she didn't realise you meant her then she encouraged you to go after another woman... a lot has happened since then, you seem to have made a lot of progress with her even if it's been slow, but are you willing to take that risk?"

Ren pulled up outside Yashiro's home and gave a mirthless laugh. "I'm surprised you're not telling me to go in all guns blazing and sweep her off her feet."

"That wouldn't very good advice to give a friend in this situation. If it goes well I'll make up for it by teasing you non-stop for a week." Yashiro said as he climbed out of the car. "Good luck."

Ren nodded and started off for his apartment complex. He pondered over the buttons as he got in the elevator, trying to decide if a brief visit to his apartment first for a glass of whiskey would help his nerves. He pressed the button for Sai's floor when his need for haste and answers overcame his need for Dutch courage.

The lift seemed to take longer than it usually did and he tapped his fingers on his thigh irritably. Eventually a ping signalled he'd reached his desired floor and he made his way purposely to Sai's door. He reached up to knock, only to have the thing open and the owner of the apartment nearly run him down.

Sai stumbled in an effort to stop her forward momentum and he took an urgent step back. Even he was wary of being trampled by the woman.

"Oh! Perfect timing, I have to go now to get Ryu-chan and didn't like leaving her on her own. I got hold of Kanae-kun and she said she'd spend the night but she won't be here for another couple of hours." she said as she recognised him. "Kyoko's in quite a state. Please don't be too angry with her, and I'm sorry for earlier. She said she didn't want me to tell anyone about her being Bo, but I thought you of all people would know and under the circumstances I thought she'd appreciate you being there. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

Ren just nodded and smiled politely, too impatient to get into conversations.

"Go on in, she's in the living room." Sai said, pushing the door open for him and stepping past towards the elevator.

Ren moved though the doorway as soon as it was clear, closing it after him, and headed for the living room. He found her curled up on the couch with her face buried in a cushion.

"Mogami-san." he said when it became apparent she wasn't going to notice him on her own. The reaction was instant and dramatic. She screamed and leapt to her feet, throwing the cushion down right under her own left foot which caused her to stagger and tumble headfirst over the nearby coffee table. She was up again in a flash, apparently uninjured, and stood bolt upright for three full seconds. Then she burst into tears and threw herself back on the floor in a full dogeza.

"I'M SORRY!" she cried, and even though Ren was used to such behaviour it still knocked him temporarily off-guard. "I thought later would be later!"

"What?" he asked, bewildered. "Never mind. Mogami-san, please get up, we need to talk."

Kyoko stood hesitantly, sniffing and wiping at her eyes and he felt a wash of guilt at seeing her tear-stained face but not enough to make him retreat.

"About Bo-"

"I'm sorry! I never meant to trick you but you didn't like me very much at the time though you seemed able to talk to Bo, and I just wanted to help you but you didn't like me much at the time and would never confide in me so I thought if I went to you as Bo I might be able to help you because you looked so down and I wanted to cheer you up but I didn't mean to pry and... and... I'm sorry!"

Ren blinked and attempted to process the garbled sentence. He took too long to reply though and she had already taken another deep breath.

"I swear on my life I'll never tell anyone about anything you told me as Bo, I'll never tell anyone you thought 'tenteikomai' was a dance or that you asked a rooster about love or about who you're in love with and I know it's probably too much to ask after I've betrayed your trust like this but is there any chance, I mean after a long, long time of course, that you could ever forgive me?"

She finished, panting for breath with her hands clasped hopefully in front of her and Ren wished he'd taken the time to have that whiskey after all. "Slow down, Mogami-san, just, just breathe and calm down. I need you to answer a question, and that will determine if I can forgive you."

Her eyes widened and she lurched forward. "What's the question?"

"Who do you think I'm in love with?"

"A schoolgirl." she answered immediately. He waited for a moment but apparently that was it.

"Which schoolgirl exactly?"

She faltered, biting her lip in uncertainty. "A very pretty one? Probably a clever one with a sweet personality?"

He took a deep, fortifying breath. "Did you ever consider I might have meant you?"

"No, of course not." she said in a tone that implied he might as well have asked if she regularly bathed in porridge. "You already told Bo you're in love with someone else."

For possibly the first time in his life, Tsuruga Ren was moved to facepalm so hard he nearly gave himself a concussion. She flinched as the _smack_ echoed through the silent room. "Mogami-san, are you a schoolgirl?"

"Yes."

He raised his brows and circled his hand in a gesture of 'and so...' but all she did was look at him quizzically. He realised with disbelief he had a chance to make it out of this situation without his feelings becoming known. He seriously considered it but ended up sighing in resignation, he'd come too far and built up too much courage to slink away now.

"Mogami-san... Kyoko." he began, and she jolted at his use of her given name. "How many schoolgirls do you think I associate with on a regular basis? The one I like is with LME in the Love Me department and it's not Kotonami-san or Amamiya-san."

She frowned in thought, scratching her head in a way he would find adorable if his palms weren't sweating. "Well, there's me of course, and... um... well, there's me, and... me and... and..."

She grew more and more distressed until he silenced her by reaching out and capturing one of her frantically gesticulating hands. Her mouth snapped shut and her eyes, shining with fear, rose slowly to meet his. Her gaze hit him like a physical blow and for a second he regretted being so explicit, but then another emotion, caution, appeared and her face wrinkled with confusion.

It was strange, he mused, that caution of all things should give him hope, but it meant she was thinking past the fear. He sensed it would be a bad idea to push her much further right now and decided to put his faith in giving some time to think. And honestly he'd rather eat his own feet than be here when Kanae arrived – he felt he had been quite brave enough for one day and his heart was pounding as it was.

"Will you be alright here on your own until Kotonami-san gets here?" he asked and received a jerky nod. "Then I'll leave you in peace to think it over, take as long as you need and answer me when you can." he said, mustering up a smile as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. It became less forced when she didn't instantly yank the appendage back. "Goodnight Kyoko."

"Yes, drive safely." she replied incoherently.

He left Sai's apartment and headed directly for his whiskey cabinet. He necked two large gulps straight from the decanter, shuddered and headed for his bedroom. Undoing his top three buttons he flopped face-first on the bed and closed his eyes, willing sleep to take him because he'd had just about enough excitement for one day.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Thank you everyone, I hope I did okay with this chapter and you enjoyed it – it was the hardest one to write so far :S Also I just wanted to confirm the stalker is real, not anyone playing a prank, and it is someone included in the manga or this story in some way – you won't be completely blindsided at the end. Anything else wouldn't be playing fair and I think I'd have to give myself 30 lashes or something lol. Or listen to 'Paparazzi' on loop... it's pretty much stuck in my head permanently now if that's any consolation XD<p> 


	13. Fluttering Petals

**Fluttering Petals**

No sooner had Kanae pulled the strap of her overnight bad more securely over her shoulder to knock on the door than the thing was flung open she found herself in the hysterical embrace of a particularly constricting Kyoko.

"Moko-san!" she cried, her grip reaching a rib-threatening crescendo as she dragged her best friend inside.

Kanae fought to pry her off and back-peddled to a safe distance, clutching her bag protectively to her chest. Her brow twitched as she fought down the urge to yell and instead moved to pat Kyoko awkwardly on the head. "Half a dead rat, huh? That must have been horrible."

"Yes it was, but the important thing is that I'm not you." Kyoko said as she lunged forward and grabbed Kanae by the shoulders. "And I'm not Amamiya-san and that doesn't leave anyone else!" she wailed, shaking Kanae back and forth so hard she came to resemble a nodding dog in a car window.

Kanae regained her senses and struggled free from a manic grasp for the second time in as many minutes. "What are you talking about?" she couldn't help but yell in confusion.

Kyoko let out a terrible wail and as best as Kanae could describe just sort of melted into a puddle of despair.

"Oi." she said, poking at Kyoko with a toe. "I can see you're upset about something other than decapitated rodents, but if you don't explain then I can't understand."

Kyoko nodded, oozing over to the couch and Kanae followed warily to take a seat next to her. She was silent for a few seconds and then, like a broken dam, a cascade of words poured out of her at great speed and volume. Kanae felt she was about to be washed away as the entire 'Tsuruga situation' was related to her in graphic detail, accompanied by wild hand gestures and a lot of alarming head movements. At the end of it Kyoko's hands dropped into her lap and she powered back down into a state of jellified misery.

Kanae regarded her friend thoughtfully for a while. Honestly, she had harboured mounting suspicions since Ren's behaviour over the PV, and had a hard time believing even Kyoko could be so dense that it had come as this great of a shock. She wasn't stupid, perhaps a little naive and ignorant regarding the softer emotions in life, but she wasn't quite emotionally retarded.

Stunted was probably a better term – she had been betrayed by the one person she trusted from what she had told Kanae, and been cut deeply. Her heart had been lacerated and Kanae suspected she had developed some sort of self-preservation mechanism that kicked in to make her recoil from love unconsciously in much the same way a normal person automatically pulled back their hands when touching something hot.

To be rejected was unpleasant, but to be thrown away must be infinitely worse. Kanae had been rejected, and knew the depression that went with people not accepting her, but what if someone she loved and trusted suddenly dumped her flat? What if Kyoko one day turned around with cruel words and dismissed her from her life, told her that everything she believed about what their friendship meant was nothing more than a false assumption Kyoko had allowed her to make because it suited her purposes at the time? She shuddered.

Wounds of the heart were tricky, and Kanae felt she was not really qualified or experienced enough to help. But she couldn't do nothing and just leave her in this state, Kyoko was her best friend and she cared deeply for the girl even if she would shave herself bald before admitting it aloud. She fought down a wild sort of panic that was far more befitting of her companion and tried to think logically.

"Okay, so we know his feelings. What about yours?" she said finally.

Kyoko dropped her head in her hands. "I...like him... maybe l-l-love him." she mumbled.

"I know that." Kanae said gently, trying not to get impatient. "You're about as subtle as an elephant in a sequin waistcoat when it comes to who you strongly like and dislike. But are you _**in**_ _**love**_ with him?"

She sighed out half a lifetime's worth of sighs in one breath and the effort seemed to leave her drained. "Yes, I've been thinking about it for a while. This feels different to what I've felt before, not so much stronger than what I felt for the idiot, but... deeper somehow. It's like I thought I knew everything about fire from a candle, but then got tossed into a blazing inferno and realised I actually knew nothing at all."

"You love him, and he loves you. Usually from here it's simple. Usually."

Kyoko's eyes grew distant and pained as she drew her knees up to her chest and hugged herself. "I don't want to get hurt like that again. I can't take being hurt like that again."

"Then it really comes down to if you can trust him with your heart."

"That's the biggest problem. I think I can." Kyoko said, her voice muffled as her head flopped down and she spoke through her arms. "I want to say I don't trust him and let that be the end of it but I can't. I already have faith in him, but if that faith is destroyed I don't think I'll ever get over it."

Kanae licked her lips. "Um, you know... even if it turns out badly, it won't be like last time. You won't be left completely alone." she said, flushing. "You'd still have, uh, me and other friends. I'm not dismissing your fears or anything, but you do have something of a safety net – maybe it wouldn't break your fall entirely but it might stop you hitting the ground at full speed."

"Moko-san!" Kyoko cried and Kanae braced for impact. As a rare concession she allowed her friend to hug the breath from her lungs, but she pouted the entire time until she was released.

"Take some time to think about it – calmly. Try and resolve your feelings and decide what you really want, and what you'd be willing to lose. Whatever you decide, I think you owe it to him to be completely sure of your decision after you made him confess in such an un-cool way." she chuckled and was pleased to see the ghost of a smile flitter across Kyoko's face.

"You're right, I'll think about it properly. Thank you Moko-san, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Mo! Panic yourself into a coma probably." Kanae snorted, though the sincerely spoken words warmed her and helped assure her that she would not be forgotten no matter what happened.

Kyoko smiled and wiped at her eyes. No tears had fallen but she had been in a state of near-weeping discomposure for as long as Kanae had been there at least, and she suspected ever since her mind had wrapped itself around exactly who Ren must have meant by a Love Me member who wasn't Kanae or Chiori.

"Are you hungry? I feel terrible that you had to rush over like this so the least I can do is feed you."

Kanae reeled a little from the abrupt subject change and nodded. "A little – something small and low in calories would be perfect. I'll help you cook."

They moved to the kitchen and began preparing the meal. Once they had eaten the rest of the evening was spent chattering idly about unimportant matters and avoiding dangerous subjects such as love or vermin.

* * *

><p>Kyoko yawned herself awake early the next morning but couldn't bring herself to leave the snugness of her bed immediately. Her mind had been too full to get much sleep and luckily she had no reason to get up at all today unless she wanted to. She was supposed to go to school though she and everyone else had decided it might be prudent for her to avoid going out in public without an escort unless she absolutely had to for the time being. She dearly wished for an end to her imprisonment, even if it was for her own protection.<p>

Eventually Kanae awoke too and she could no longer justify her laziness. She rose to cook her friend a breakfast packed with gratitude and enjoyed a couple of hours of her company until Kanae had to leave for a drama shoot.

Sai had returned in the early hours so they left the apartment as quietly as possible to prevent waking her. Kyoko went with her to the ground floor where they paused to say goodbye at the front entrance, and she watched until her friend was out of sight.

She glanced up at the security camera before heading back up and felt a wave of reassurance. The building usually required a code to allow admittance, though it was the idea that there was always a guard on duty to watch the monitors to the main door, back door and the entrance to the underground car park that gave her the feeling of safety.

The guard also had the option to open or lock out either door or the car park barrier – apparently Ren had made sure she'd be able to get in after the first time she had gone there – and he only had three things to monitor unlike at LME, which beeped every time one of the entrances was used. It wasn't as sophisticated as LME, but there was a certain strength in the simplicity. This building was the only place left where she felt safe, and even then she felt a tinge of unease when she didn't have a locked door between her and the corridors.

She rode the elevator back up to Sai's apartment and took out her schoolbooks. If she couldn't go in person she felt she should study as best she could here. Her mind was still too full to really concentrate though and she ended up staring at the same pages without absorbing the words for endless minutes. She threw down her pen in frustration as she reread the same passage on cellular respiration for the sixth time without becoming any more enlightened on the subject then jumped as her phone vibrated on the table.

For a moment she panicked, thinking it might be Ren, and breathed a sigh of relief as she found the caller ID was unknown. She picked it up and got halfway through a polite greeting when she was cut off by a stream of abuse.

"What do you want Sho?" she whisper-shouted at the unwelcome caller. They had a short and rather unpleasant conversation which revealed that hatemail had arrived that morning for Sho and Mimori at Akitoki. She managed to get out of him that the letters had come through the post and contained simple threats to stay away from Natsu or face the consequences in block capitals and that they had already been sent to the police. It became necessary to hang up before she started yelling soon after that.

Seconds after she hit the disconnect button, the phone vibrated again with an incoming call from an unknown caller. Sho's voice rang out loudly from the device and she fought to hold down her temper. She stayed on the line just long enough to tell him to be careful and pass this advice on to Mimori before hanging up.

The phone went off again and Kyoko growled.

"Stop calling me you moron!" she shouted and hung up on his outraged spluttering. She stabbed at the buttons going through her contact list to find someone, anyone, else to dial so he would get a busy signal next time. She didn't like to turn the thing off and honestly a study break would probably do her good to calm her down. Her finger paused as Ren's name was highlighted, but shook her head and moved on. She scrolled to Hiyama Atsuko and bit her lip before hitting the call button, just in time as her phone flashed with an incoming call alert. It didn't vibrate though and she happily ignored it.

"_Hello, Kyoko?"_ Hiyama's voice said after a few rings.

"Hi, I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, is this a bad time?"

"_No, actually it's perfect timing. Madoka's driving me crazy – well, she was anyway. She went out on a date and wouldn't shut up about it for a whole hour before she ran off. Met her after work and took her to a fancy restaurant apparently – she's already started planning the wedding and thought up names for their children. Tch! She didn't even bring me an apple today."_

Kyoko grimaced and tried to steer the conversation away from anything romantic. "I hope you're not too bored, has your orderly been keeping you amused?"

"_Oh... he's not mine."_ Hiyama said in a coy tone and Kyoko sighed. _"Um, but yes, he forgot to hand in the latest instalment fee for his course and its due before noon today. His housemate's working the late shift so he had to wake him up to beg him to drop it off at his school. Apparently he's done it too many times before though and this time he had to promise to do all the housework for a week. He was nearly in tears when he told me, said he thinks the vacuum cleaner is haunted by the souls of all the spiders its sucked up and he tie-dyed half his wardrobe pink the last time he attempted laundry."_

She laughed and shook her head. "That doesn't bode well. Pink of all colours."

"_Yep. Oh yeah! Good news, they say I should be able to go home next week. You should come visit after I make my escape."_

Kyoko smiled. "That's great! I will."

"_I won't be sorry to leave this hospital food behind. First thing I'm going to do is order take-out. Lots of take-out. Calories be damned. Meh, I think I've lost weight since I've been here anyway. Oh, it looks like the doctors want to inspect me again so I have to go." _

They said goodbye and Kyoko hung up to find she had six missed calls. Hopefully Sho had given up by now and she put her phone down on the table as she got back to cellular respiration, shooting it the odd suspicious glare every now and then.

The stalker must have mailed the letters yesterday, inferring he'd had to find out where to send them. Given that Sho was one of the biggest stars of Akitoki it didn't bode well for the theory he was an employee of some sort. She sighed decided at least Mimori and the idiot might be relatively safe for the moment and tried to get back to studying.

Her thoughts kept wandering and she had made little progress through the huge biology book by the time she heard Sai moving around and running a shower just after midday. Just as she was about to get lunch started, her phone vibrated.

She picked it up and glared as the unknown number message flashed. Sai was awake now so she felt no particular need to be keep her voice down and with this in mind she answered it with an instant, furious tirade.

She unleashed all the pent up frustrations in her possession and was actually starting to feel better until a soft chuckle silenced her. It wasn't Sho.

"_So feisty, I like that. It's good to hear your voice Natsu."_

Kyoko froze, just barely keeping hold of the phone in her suddenly numb fingers as the voice of oiled silk washed over her, clogging up her senses. "H-how did you get this number?"

"_That's not important. I called because I wanted to apologise, I overreacted and did something to upset you. I've still got plans for that awful woman but I see now I should have trusted you. No relationship can work if one doesn't trust the other."_

"We don't have a relationship!" she snarled in frustration.

"_Of course we do, you said so yourself. If a man sent you twelve red roses with the thorns still on you'd fall in love with him. I've been sending them just like you wanted."_

"I never said any such thing! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"_Oh? Well, maybe it was the other you but that really doesn't matter."_

Kyoko leapt up to pace the room in anger and bewilderment. "The other me? There is no other me, you're insane and I want you to go away and leave me alone!"

A slippery chuckle teased her ears. _"Don't be like that, not when I have my apology gift all ready for you. It's actually been easier to follow you since you started taking a car everywhere, I lost track of you so many times on that bike, so I know where you're staying at the moment. I'm right outside so if you just come down-"_

"Like hell!" she roared with a newfound strength from his words – they actually brought as much comfort as anxiety. She reeled that he had her number and home address, but the fact that he was calling her and not knocking on the door raised her faith in the building's security. As long as she didn't do something stupid she was safe.

"_Of course, I haven't given you all twelve roses yet so I can't expect too much. I'll just leave your present outside so come down and pick it up whenever you like. I can't wait to meet you in person, Natsu. I've been so patient already for so long, I don't think I can wait much longer. I'll come for you soon and we can be together again."_

"Again? You're deluded!" she began, but found herself talking to a dial tone after a click. She put the phone down with shaking hands and hugged her arms around herself. She turned to check that the front door was bolted and nearly screamed as she found Sai in the doorway watching her quizzically as she towelled her hair. She was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt but Kyoko wasn't all that concerned about her attire at this point in time. Quickly she explained the call twice, first in a way so garbled Sai couldn't understand her then again after taking a few deep breaths.

"I'll go down and look. You stay here and do not leave or open the door to anyone until I get back, okay?"

Kyoko nodded and watched as Sai left the apartment, drawing the deadbolt after she'd closed the door behind her. She moved to the couch and waited. The clock on the DVD player seemed to be broken, the minutes ticked by so slowly. The only sounds in the empty apartment were the soft twisting of fabric as she fidgeted with her skirt and the uneven breaths she forced in and out of her lungs.

Her phone vibrated and she actually cried out at the sudden and unnaturally loud noise. She reached for it cautiously and found it was a message from Sai rather than a call.

'_I'm on a land line to the police – meet me outside, there's something you should see.'_

A sinking feeling slowly spread out from her gut to consume her. She told herself it must be fine as long as Sai said so and made her way towards the door. She flinched at the sound of the deadbolt releasing and stepped out into the corridor, trying to walk normally as she headed for the elevator.

Time seemed to have sped up now and the ride down to the ground floor didn't seem to take as long as it usually did. The entrance hall was deserted and she shuffled towards the main doors with increasing unease.

She took out her phone again to double check the message and frowned as she looked it over again. Sai had only sent her a few texts before but never once so far had she bothered using apostrophes. And why would she be on a land-line to the police when she clearly had her mobile phone on her? A tongue of fear licked at the back of her neck, that same instinctive impulse to run before a predator that she had felt in the presence of the fake janitor at LME.

She peered out through the glass of the main doors but couldn't see anything suspicious even in broad daylight. She couldn't see Sai either though. As she changed her angle of view, something by the door caught her eye. A bundle of red roses tied into a bouquet with a sheet of plain white paper and a scarlet ribbon. There was a small card attached to the ribbon and she could see from here it read 'Sorry Natsu, I will see you soon to make it up to you' in a looping script.

The bouquet might as well have been a poisonous snake for the reluctance with which she reached for it. She reeled as she counted five roses in the bundle, so much so that the sound of the door opening made her scream. An elegant lady in a long faux-fur coat glared back at her and let out a demure huff before striding away to the elevator.

She would normally have apologised, but the sudden realisation that the roses had been on this side of the door overwhelmed her usual politeness. She took a final look around the entrance hall and out of the window and bolted for the elevator, bouquet still clutched in her hand.

Kyoko pressed the button, but the woman in the coat had taken it to one of the top floors. She shivered as she waited, strangely aware of an array of tiny sounds that she was sure hadn't been there before. She had to get back to the apartment.

Her breath caught in her throat as something that might have been the footfalls of a man reached her ears. The stairs. She was fast and she could probably outrun an attacker in a footrace. Another sound that might have been a footstep propelled her through the double-doors to the stairwell and she sprinted up taking them three at a time.

She ran flat out, grabbing onto the railing to swing herself round when she reached a landing until her lungs felt like they were about to burst. As she made the last turn towards the last flight her foot shot out from under her and she shrieked as she tumbled backwards. She threw the bouquet over her head as her arms flailed, and let out a grunt of pain at the moment her flesh met the concrete steps.

Falling down the stairs was as unpleasant as she remembered, and this time she had the added joy of her head connecting soundly with the railing at the bottom. Her vision blurred and the last thing she saw before unconsciousness claimed her was a red snowfall of fluttering rose petals.

* * *

><p>Author's note: thank you for reading and reviewing, I'm kinda overwhelmed! :) I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can – not too much more to go now :)<p> 


	14. Parade of Oddity

**Parade of Oddity**

Sai angrily strode back towards the main entrance to the apartment complex with her newly reacquired phone held firmly in her hand. It had been in her back pocket when she had stepped out of the elevator on the ground floor, but when she had returned inside with the bouquet she had discovered outside to call the police it was missing.

She'd dropped the flowers down in the lobby and gone back out to look for where it might have fallen once she was sure it was nowhere inside. As a last resort she accosted a woman in a long faux-fur coat to enlist her help to find it. After convincing the woman she hadn't been about to mugged or brutally slain, she had consented to call Sai's number while Sai walked up and down listening for her ring tone.

Eventually, after the woman's patience was about through at being dragged up and down the street by a person whose good character she clearly doubted, Sai had heard the faint melody of her distinctive ring tone. She had charged into an alley just past the complex boundary, prepared to fight, only to find it empty. Her phone had been discovered after a brief search a little way into the alley where it appeared to have been thrown down with some force.

The casing was cracked and the volume control buttons on the side were gone, but it had appeared to still work and Sai had let out a relieved breath. The woman in the fur coat had asked sarcastically if she might be permitted to go home now and stormed off, leaving Sai alone to perform a cursory inspection of the alley. Once she been satisfied there really was no one hiding there, she had called the police and then marched back to her apartment complex.

There was no way the thing could have ended up there on its own, meaning someone must have picked her pocket while she was retrieving the roses. Probably the stalker, though why he would steal her phone only to throw it away was beyond her, and whatever his reasons it was not a happy prospect.

She looked around the lobby in confusion when she found the bouquet gone and it didn't clear when the elevator suddenly pinged and opened when there appeared to be no one around who could have called it. Just as she was about to get in and make her way back to Kyoko a door labelled with the word 'security' banged open and a tubby little man in a guard's uniform emerged.

"Matsuhara-san." he greeted as he lumbered towards her. "I just saw your houseguest on the monitor – she looked pretty shaken so I came to check on her."

"Kyoko? What on earth was she doing down here?"

"I don't know, took off up the stairs like a startled rabbit though."

Sai looked down at her abused phone and grimaced. A few button presses revealed a sent message that she had not written, and a possibility that made her brows meet in a frown. Sai was not easily intimidated – she could bench press 300 lbs and put dents in brickwork with her head. Her first thought on finding her phone missing was to go and find the wretched thing, not to run for safety and the nearest landline in the security office.

The stalker had been right outside until just recently. Kyoko hadn't gone outside as the message instructed, but if she had and Sai hadn't...

Sai quickly scrolled to Kyoko's number and dialled. It rang until the voicemail kicked in. She tried again and the same thing happened. She looked between the stairs and the elevator and sighed heavily.

"Thanks, I'll take care of Kyoko, please make sure the front door remains monitored."

The guard nodded and shambled back to his office as Sai muttered under her breath and started up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Fushida Amiko had been a hospital receptionist for nineteen years, and in that time she had seen it all without once cracking a smile or breaking into a scowl. Rumour had it her face was made of metal rather than flesh as it had moved so little throughout her career. She had taken the particulars of injuries born of sexual misadventure and vacuum cleaners with a cool and stoic professionalism. Nothing shocked her.<p>

The sight of a bear-like woman carrying a young woman with a bleeding head wound screeching into a phone at the top of her lungs had been merely another day at the office. Never once had her facial control been broken until this fateful day when a pirate strode up to her desk, attracting her attention in the most unusual form of a squawk from his parrot.

She quirked an eyebrow.

Looking past the buccaneer, and more specifically the live bird perched on his shoulder, she found a little girl and twin somethings wrapped in gaudy pink. After a careful assessment of the four, she chose to address the child. They wanted to see Mogami Kyoko – the loud young lady last seen in the possession of the bear-woman – and she directed them to waiting room three while she checked the details.

An urgent 'excuse me' lifted her gaze once more and she jumped back three feet when she found herself meeting a pair of glowing blood-red eyes set in a hideously deformed and fang-strewn face. The vampire also wanted to see Mogami Kyoko and she distractedly sent him to waiting room three.

She barely had time to set her spectacles straight on her nose when an escaped convict ran in with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He seemed remarkably concerned for Mogami Kyoko given his own condition and she sent him to waiting room three as soon as a panting man in glasses arrived to assure her it wasn't real blood and he himself was merely out of breath and not in imminent danger of a heart attack.

Just when she thought there could be no more crackpots left in the world to assault her careful facade of professional detachment, Prince Charming walked in.

"Waiting room three." she said icily before Prince-Charming-Punk-Style, his pouting Cinderella or their stunning, but thankfully conventionally attired, chaperone could utter a word.

The arrival of a shabby man under the impression he was a police detective was the last straw, and prompted her to call through to the psych ward to check there hadn't been a mass break out today. After being assured twice that all their lunatics were accounted for, she took her finger off the silent alarm, sent him to the waiting room of insanity and decided she needed her coffee break. Right now.

* * *

><p>Kanae had rarely felt quite so uncomfortable, or indeed conspicuous. The tension in the waiting room was palpable as Ryuma and Sho glared openly at each other with Sai standing between them. Ren wore a serene expression of indifference, but Kanae found herself moving away from him for reasons other than the fact her Love Me uniform clashed terribly with his orange jumpsuit.<p>

Most unfortunately, with the exception of Sai, Aki and Yashiro, everyone who had rushed to the hospital had either been in the middle of filming, possessed inexplicable urges to dress up abnormally or were subject to these urges against their will. Ren had come from the set of a film where he portrayed a wrongly-convicted man who escaped to clear his name, getting shot in the process. Ryuma had come straight from his vampire drama – he had arranged his own transportation this one time to allow Sai to stay with Kyoko – and was frankly unnerving her. Sho had learned of Kyoko's hospitalisation after calling her on a break from retaking a few shots from his latest PV and being treated to a particularly loud and irrational conversation where she had let it slip, and Mimori had insisted on going with him and his manager. The president was, well, the president.

And so they were all gathered, the weird and nonsensical, all waiting for word on Kyoko.

After what seemed like a very long time to be stuck in a small room full of absurdity, the door opened to reveal a clipboard-carrying doctor with a female nurse and everyone stood up. The doctor blinked at them all and closed the door for a few seconds then reopened it with a look of disbelief on his face.

Yes, Kanae thought bitterly, it really is that strange.

"Ladies and gentlemen." the doctor began, cutting off briefly to stare at the parrot when it squawked. "Mogami-san has experienced a grade 3 concussion, meaning she lost consciousness and awoke in a state of confusion and disrupted faculties – in layman's terms, she was 'punch-drunk'. The cut on her head was superficial and we found no sign of a fractured skull. She also has a mild knee sprain and some impressive bumps and bruises. We'd like to keep her in for observation for the next 24 hours to monitor her head injury and ensure there is no intracranial bleeding or chance of lasting brain damage."

"Will Onee-sama be alright?" Maria asked as she stepped forward to tug on the doctor's coat.

He smiled and patted her head. "Considering she fell backwards down a flight of concrete steps and smashed her head on an iron railing she is in remarkably good condition. The observation should just be an unneeded precaution; the effects of the concussion have already died down enough for her to receive visitors coherently, and there doesn't seem to be any memory loss."

Maria nodded slowly. "When will we be able to see her?"

"Very soon – the doctor treating her said he would call down as soon as he was finished with her. I think all of you at once might be a little overwhelming, so I'd like you to split into groups of five or less and of course Mogami-san will have to authorise each of you. Please could I take your names?"

By the time they were all noted down the nurse was close to fainting. "Thank you. I'll go and sort this out if you could decide on groups and order. I'll come back as soon as her doctor confirms Mogami-san is ready for you."

The doctor smiled and left, and an argument broke out between Sho and Maria over who would go in first. In a rare display of assertiveness, Aki stamped on his foot to end it and save her client from himself – Lory Takarada was not the sort of person to take aggression towards his granddaughter without some sort of retribution, and his eyes were narrowing with every word that Sho uttered.

In the end a compromise was reached based on who needed to leave soonest. The Akitoki party still had a few PV scenes to reshoot and Sai needed to take Ryuma back to the set of 'Once Bitten Twice Shy' – she had been furious as it was to find he had actually made his way to the hospital in character on the train, going back the same way or missing the shoot was not an option. She was mollified by the fact he waited for the crew to break for 'lunch' before racing over.

They would see Kyoko first, followed by the president, Maria and the two Love Me members. Ren opted to see her last in order to be able to change first. He had finished his shoot for the day and had been in the middle of removing his makeup when Sai had called to frantically inform him Kyoko had been rushed to hospital. Yashiro had thought to grab the bag with his street clothes in before sprinting to get in the car before his client drove off without him, and upon request the nurse was only too happy to direct him to the nearest bathroom.

The inspector, who had been in a state of vaguely appalled incredulity since he had entered the room, agreed to see her after the second group as long as everyone before him made it quick.

There was very little conversation until the doctor returned to tell the first group they could go up, but a lot of meaningful glances were exchanged. The first group left for the elevator to Kyoko's room, which was apparently across from Hiyama's, and Ren went with Yashiro to make himself more presentable. The president and Satoshi left to speak with the doctor in private and Kanae was left alone with the other girls from LME.

She tried to hide the extent of her relief at finding out Kyoko was alright, but couldn't help the way her hands shook. Sai had shared her thoughts on what she believed the stalker's intentions had been, and while it was a wild and desperate sort of plan the intent behind it frightened her.

* * *

><p>Kyoko was sulking. She was certain she didn't need to be here but apparently she had lost any and all say in the matter when she had answered 'Berlin' to 'how many fingers?'. It felt like an orchestra had taken up residence in her head and were booming out the 1812 Overture, complete with canon fire, with enough enthusiasm to make her feel ill. At least her eyes had fixed themselves - for a while there it had been like looking at the world through a TV screen of white noise.<p>

She felt rather silly at the moment, having panicked over imagined footsteps and displaying a clumsiness of previously unheard of proportions. Her only comfort was that her mind seemed to be returning to normal. She still felt a bit slow and fuzzy, but she remembered her name and what year it was and the mad impulses that had overtaken her on first waking had now subsided.

She flushed as she remembered her garbled yelling when Sho had called to berate her on the way to the hospital. She didn't remember every word exactly but she had said some pretty irrational things, including reciting a recipe for fruitcake which she threatened to bake just to throw at him if he didn't immediately go flush his head down a toilet. It had made sense at the time.

Seeing his name on her list of visitors had honestly surprised her, but it was nothing compared to Mimori bursting into a flood of tears and apologising for pushing her into the road. Kyoko wasn't sure what to do as the girl blubbered out that she hated her immensely but never meant to actually hurt her, and decided that gracefully accepting the apology was probably the quickest way to shut off the noise.

Mimori seemed happy with this and went off to snuffle in the same corner that Sho was skulking in. Aki Shoko was polite and eager to get across to her exactly how concerned Sho had been. Kyoko was not convinced and would have said so if Ryuma hadn't scared her into a startled shriek.

The visit ended with Sho mumbling about being glad she was alright, followed by something louder and so obnoxious that she was moved to throw a nearby kidney dish at his head. He left with a sneer, rubbing his temple in a way she found very satisfying, Mimori and an anxious Aki scuttling close behind. She wasn't sorry and decided she could always blame the concussion if anyone brought it up later.

Sai and Ryuma left soon after with the giggles and her next batch of visitors poured in. Kyoko felt a lump grow in her throat that her friends had come to see her, that they had justified the faith she now realised she'd put in them. She couldn't help but be a little disappointed at the absence of one particular actor, though the fact his name was on the list made both thrilled and terrified her.

This visit was far more pleasant and she felt no desire to aim projectiles at anyone present. The president regretted that Polly had not been permitted to accompany him but assured her that she also wished her a speedy recovery, and she found it strangely touching. About twenty minutes in however, inspector Satoshi stuck his head in and the laughter abruptly cut off.

"Are you thirsty Mogami-kun? Maybe someone could get you a drink?" the president said with a glance towards his granddaughter. Chiori took the hint and whisked Maria away to see if they could find a vending machine.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I would like to speak with you if that's alright?" the inspector said as he entered and sat down, actually looking a bit apologetic.

"Of course. I vaguely remember Sai telling me her theory, do you think it's possible?"

"Yes." he said grimly. "I think he was definitely trying to lure you out. He tried asking you directly but you sensibly declined, and trying to trick you didn't work either. My guess is that when he saw Matsuhara-san come out to get the roses instead of you he took a chance out of desperation. Luckily it didn't work, and frankly there was little chance of it working in the first place, but I find it concerning he was able to even get close to putting you in an unfavourable situation. I urge you to take great care in the near future."

"I never should have left the apartment." Kyoko grumbled. "I just didn't think when I saw it was a message from Sai-san. Then I went and fell down the stairs when I realised what a bad idea it was."

"Did you see anything? Notice anyone suspicious or familiar? Anything at all?"

"No, nothing." she said sadly and he sent her a mirthless chuckle.

"At least we've learned four things. Firstly your home is safe or he wouldn't have had to resort to such methods, secondly he takes great care with grammar even in text messages so he's probably well educated. Thirdly he has a car and lastly he is apparently a pretty good pickpocket. It takes guts and skill to do that in broad daylight in the middle of the street; he might have a criminal record. We're looking into known offenders with this particular skill for any likely candidates now – anyone with a showbiz connection or oil painting as a hobby, anyone with access to a garden where thorny roses might be obtained."

Kyoko frowned and bit her lower lip. "He sent five at once this time – ten in total. That's not a good thing, is it?"

"No. Are you sure Natsu has never said anything about twelve roses with thorns?"

"Positive."

"From your conversation the profiler believes he's not only obsessed with your Natsu character just because he likes her, but he may be merging her with a person who actually exists. Someone he was in love with who may have left him emotionally scarred, who was sufficiently like Natsu for him to delude himself into believing she _**is**_ the woman he loved in order to escape the trauma of reality. He's set himself his own countdown he has to go through before he can have you, and he's clearly getting impatient."

Kyoko shuddered. "How could he have gotten my number?"

"I don't know. Possibly he's had it since he was in your room at the Darumaya if your phone was lying around, or at TBM studios when he left the partial rodent – your bag was there so he could have gone through it. He's probably had it for a while before deciding to use it now."

"Do you think he'll try anything here? Would he know where I am?" she asked softly.

"Maybe. It's unlikely, but he's done the unreasonable before. Myself and Takarada-san here have related the outline of your situation and the hospital has agreed to allow someone to stay with you all the time you're here on the condition they don't interfere with your treatment."

"Thank you."

The president smiled kindly at her and she felt a little reassured. "Yashiro is making the arrangements now to clear Ren's schedule so he will be staying with you."

"Oh... Tsuruga-san... isn't that going to be inconvenient for him?" she asked, trying not to squirm.

"A bit, but one day won't be the end of the world and he hasn't taken a holiday since he debuted so I'll support him having a personal day or two."

The serious conversation had to end there as Maria burst back into the room carrying as many cans as her small arms would allow.

"I wasn't sure what you'd want so I got you one of everything." she announced as she piled the cans on Kyoko's bedside table.

Chiori entered behind her, looking forlorn. Kyoko asked why she was upset and she gave a wry chuckle. "Ah, apparently it's undignified for a person to jingle so Maria had no change and I had to pay for it all. It's okay as long as it's for you though, but you better drink them all."

Satoshi quietly excused himself as the good mood returned and Kyoko managed to forget there was a mad stalker after her who now apparently had plans of kidnap as she laughed with her friends.

Eventually they bid her farewell for the day and filed out except for Kanae. Soon after, a short man in a white coat entered to check her over and Kyoko was pleased to see someone she recognised – the same doctor that was treating Hiyama.

"Ikemura-sensei." she greeted and he smiled at her.

"That's right, you have a good memory. I wish I could say I was happy to see you again so soon, but I can't bring myself to glad over anyone taking a nasty tumble down the stairs."

"It wasn't intentional." she muttered.

He sent her a kindly sympathetic look and reached forward to shine a small torch in her eyes. "I'm sure it wasn't. That's better, you're reflexes are pretty much back to normal. They told me you were quite affected when you first came in."

She flushed and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry if I caused a disturbance."

"You were concussed so you have a valid excuse." he said with a hint of amusement in his tone as he inspected the various plasters and bandages she was sporting. "The sprain isn't bad and should heal in two to three weeks. You'll need to rest your leg though, if not you risk damaging it further."

Kyoko nodded sullenly. "Yes doctor."

"Please don't look so sad, you make me feel mean." he said, half wincing and half smiling. "Oh yes, I told Hiyama-san you were here after I found out and she asked me to tell you she enjoyed your visits but you really didn't have to move in."

As Kyoko laughed, the door opened and peroxide blonde woman in ponderously high heels bounced in. She was fashionably dressed and clinked with every movement due to all the gold jewellery she wore.

"Hi!" she announced as she threw herself into a chair. "I'm Atsuko's friend, Madoka, and she told me to come in and say hi for her."

"Madou-san, you shouldn't interrupt when a doctor is with a patient." Ikemura said sternly. "You should know that by now."

"Ma-do-ka." she replied playfully, wagging a finger at him. "You should know by now it's rude to address an actress by her real name when she's already told you her stage name. Besides, she's in here and you're not complaining." she added, hooking a thumb at Kanae.

"Madou-san." he said, his voice taking on a note of exasperation.

"Ugh! Well, you must be done by now anyway, I've been shadowing you for months and you never usually take too long with this sort of examination."

"That's true, but it's not the point. My apologies Mogami-san."

"No, uh, its fine I guess."

"Well, I am just about finished." Ikemura said. "I'll leave you with Madou-san and your friend. Take care Mogami-san, I'll be back to check on you later."

"Madoka." the blonde corrected with a pout as he left, her eyes devouring his every movement until he was out of sight. "Don't get any ideas." she said to Kyoko, wagging her finger.

"What do you mean? Ideas on what?"

"On my Ikemura-sensei of course. I saw the way you were laughing just now, but don't think you're getting special treatment from him. He's just a nice guy and he's like that with everyone. I'm different though and we're this close to dating, so don't get any ideas. He's mine."

Kyoko suddenly felt quite sorry for the poor doctor.

"I swear she has no designs on your doctor." Kanae said, her lip curling a little as she glared at the interloper.

Madoka opened her mouth to reply, but froze as a damp-haired but otherwise entirely presentable Tsuruga Ren stepped into the room with his manager. There was a moment of heavy silence as he and Kyoko just stared at each other.

"I'm glad you're okay." he said, finally breaking the stalemate. He thought to nod politely to the other two women quickly before turning back to her. Kyoko could well be imagining things but he seemed almost as unsettled as she was under his perfectly composed exterior. "How are you feeling?"

Her stomach answered for her by growling ferociously and she felt her cheeks heat up. "Ahaha... Hungry?"

Both men laughed while both women winced in sympathy.

"I'll see if I can find you something to eat. I'll be right back." Ren said and left Yashiro in search of something to appease her empty belly.

Madoka eyed him until he left her sight in much the same way as she had visually molested the doctor, and Kyoko found herself disliking the woman further. "Wanna swap?" she asked dreamily.

"No." Kyoko said firmly after actually giving the matter some thought. "I don't."

"Tch!" Madoka huffed and made a sauntering exit, leaving Kyoko to wonder why Yashiro had just triumphantly pumped the air with his fist.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: lol no long-term amnesia - I didn't even think of that as a possibility to be honest, and it would kinda mess up where I'm trying to take my plot :) She might be a bit 'fuzzy' but nothing out of the ordinary for a stout whap on the nut. Thank you for reading and reviewing everyone!<p> 


	15. Greenhouse Resolutions

**Greenhouse Resolutions**

Kyoko fidgeted in the awkward silence left by Madoka's flouncing departure and under the huge grin Yashiro was currently aiming at her. Kanae thankfully broke to quiet with a snort.

"What an awful woman!" she said aloud, frowning and folding her arms. "A dried up riverbed has more depth."

They all looked up as someone knocked on the door and it cracked open to allow the orderly, Uchinuma Kei, to stick his head in. "Sorry to interrupt, I saw Madoka storming off and just thought I'd check everything was okay in here?"

Kanae grunted and made a face. "Yes, everything's fine now she's gone. She just burst in and warned her off her doctor. How on earth could she think Kyoko – Kyoko, of all people – would be interested in stealing Ikemura-sensei? How can Hiyama-san stand her?"

Kei entered the room fully, shutting the door behind him and smiled a little sadly. "Atsuko told me she's an orphan and grew up in a poor environment – she worked so hard to make it in showbiz that, well, she ended up with no one but Madoka. I think that's why she latched on to me and Mogami-san. I'd probably do the same if the only person I had in the world was Madoka... makes me appreciate having Daichi to help me out in my time of need. Not sure long it'll last now that he seems to have started dating for the first time since I've known him, I'm half expecting him to kick me out any day now." he said absently then shook his head quickly and focussed on Kyoko. "But anyway, I'm sorry she disturbed you. She was here shadowing the nurses and doctors for one of her acting roles way before Atsuko was admitted and she seems to think that makes her an actual employee. She's taken so many liberties while visiting her friend we've nearly had to ask her to leave a few times. Would you like to make a formal complaint?"

"Oh no, it's fine, really." Kyoko said, balking at the idea.

"If someone can just walk in it does make me worry about the security here though." Yashiro said, adjusting his glasses thoughtfully.

"It's more secure than the open wards – it takes special medical plans like Mogami-san here has through LME to be assigned one of the private rooms on this floor – and we don't let anyone up to this floor without getting authorisation, but once someone is allowed up they aren't restricted as to which rooms they go in I'm afraid."

"Don't go anywhere by yourself." Yashiro said in an uncharacteristically stern tone and Kyoko nodded. "Just in case."

"My apologies again for Madoka, I'll ask Atsuko to have a word with her to make sure it doesn't happen again." Kei said and Kyoko realised he probably didn't know the full details of her situation or what Yashiro was actually concerned about. "She's not usually as bad as that, she's too narcissistic to get jealous easily."

He might have said more but Kyoko's attention was stolen by Ren as he returned, or more specifically the sandwich her nose told her he had in his possession. Her stomach grumbled in anticipation, tantalised by the scent of ham and cheese, and she managed to forget her nervousness around him as he handed her the plate. She managed to leave his arm behind though it was a close call and the sandwich was ruthlessly devoured in record time.

"That's better, thank you Tsuruga-san." she said with a smile and as soon as her eyes met his her pensiveness returned with a jolt.

"You're welcome. I know it's not much but I hope it took the edge off, they said you might experience some nausea so you shouldn't eat anything too substantial in case it made a return trip." Ren said delicately.

"Ah, yes, of course. That wouldn't be good." Kyoko said, laughing just a little too much. Everyone seemed to be looking at her as though she were one of those toy dogs that turned back-flips, like they expected her to do something monumental any second now. "Haha, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this place, I'm glad I only have to stay a short while. It's just so... white." she said in a rush, casting around desperately for a subject.

Kei smiled as he moved towards the door. "If you're after a bit of colour, I'd recommend checking out the greenhouse garden. It's really spectacular at sunset too, which should be soon. Of course, officially I'd have to tell you to stay in bed, even though your concussion seems to have all but cleared up and you'll be fine under the condition you sound the alert if you start feeling dizzy, and I definitely wouldn't advise you take the wheelchair outside your door down to the ground floor, second left then first right. I'll be back to check in on you in an hour." he said with a wink as he left the room.

"That sounds like a good idea." Yashiro beamed, his facial expression warping into a grin of truly Cheshire dimensions. "I think I'll get some coffee – Kotonami-san, won't you join me?"

Kanae sent him a flat, knowing look and lifted her right eyebrow. "Actually I'd quite like to see this greenhouse." she said mutinously and for a moment she and Yashiro appeared to have something of a still and silent argument. "Unfortunately, however, I have an appointment to get to so I'll have to leave for today." she said finally in the tone of someone making a great concession. She gave Yashiro then Ren a narrow-eyed look, almost a warning glare, and moved to Kyoko's bedside to pat her awkwardly on the arm. "Take care and don't do anything too idiotic while you're here. I'll come back tomorrow morning."

"Bye Moko-san." Kyoko called as her friend smiled and left.

Yashiro slipped out of the room, returning with the wheelchair then left again with a somewhat loaded suggestion that they have fun.

* * *

><p>By the time she arrived at the entrance to the greenhouse Kyoko's heart had only just calmed down after the experience of Ren lifting her into the wheelchair. She was already anxious and that simple act had nearly caused her to react irrationally.<p>

Despite the apprehension that was making her palms sweat and causing her face to be in a constant state of slightly too warm for comfort, she couldn't help but let out a delighted gasp when he wheeled her into the enclosed garden.

It was a long, rectangular affair that more closely resembled a conservatory than a conventional greenhouse. It backed directly onto the hospital on its longest side and had an entrance at either end, connected via a paved walkway that wound around the many flowerbeds. The roof and other three sides were glass, though the countless colourful flowers and abundant greenery mostly obscured the industrial view and only the sky above could be seen clearly.

The way it was so exposed though at the same time so enclosed made it seem like stepping into a sub-reality full of vibrancy and perfumed air. The light from the setting sun leant a certain ambience as the nocturnal plants started to rouse and Kyoko could well imagine fairies flitting about in the twilight. It was a pocket of fantasy wonderland as far as she was concerned and it enchanted her to the point she almost leapt up to frolic and explore.

There were a few benches dotted about the path, though they seemed to have the place to themselves for now. Ren selected one of the more secluded seats, set against the wall of the hospital and hidden away within a tall trellis covered with climbing plants that was flanked by two tall, bushy shrubs. A sweet and sultry scent lingered just faintly around the bushes, teasing her senses, and Kyoko found herself breathing in more deeply to try and catch the deliciously evasive fragrance.

Ren gallantly helped her from the wheelchair to the bench then took a seat beside her. She was all alone with him and her heart pounded in her chest. She tried not to jostle her knee, which radiated shooting pains if she made any careless movements, but every muscle she owned was taught, lending a definite stiffness to her usual good posture, and her hands simply would not keep still in her lap no matter how hard she mentally commanded her fingers to cease their endless lacing and flexing. Ren appeared relaxed, allowing his gaze to sweep over the garden slowly with an air of mildly impressed nonchalance, though Kyoko could see his right leg bouncing in agitation out of the corner of her eye.

"So, is this better than your room?" he asked in a light tone, arm sweeping to indicate the garden his eyes remained fixed on.

She tried to think past the rushing of blood in her ears and forced herself to speak. "Y-yes. I love it."

"Good." he smiled.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There were a lot of things she wanted and needed to say and somehow this seemed the perfect time and place. Her courage needed bolstering first though, so she gave herself a mental pep talk and began a countdown from ten in her head, working herself up more and more with every number.

At zero, she snapped around to face him and in her jittery fervour managed to bellow his name at the top of her lungs. At least now he was looking at her with his undivided attention she thought with a silent groan and flushed explosively.

"Yes?"

"Tsuruga-san." she said again at a more acceptable level of decibels. "About what you said before..."

"Yes?" he said, softer this time, though she found his complete lack of movement distracting.

"I... well, I've been thinking about it, and examining my feelings and... stuff. I think, that is I'm almost certain... no, I know that I... that is, about you, I... Tsuruga-san..." she said, fumbling with coherence, and then with a supreme effort, "Tsuruga-san, I love y-"

A shrill sound erupted suddenly, and Kyoko snapped her mouth shut with an audible clack.

"Go on." he urged and she realised he'd been slowly shifting closer throughout her dubious speech.

"Um, but your phone is ringing." she mumbled, pointing to where she could see his phone flashing through the material of his pocket and unable to look him quite in the eye.

"So?"

She swallowed hard, her courage deserting her. "It-it might be important."

In a single smooth action, Ren pulled out his phone, hung up then switched it off and replaced it, all without averting his gaze for a second. "This is more important, go on." he said with a guarded but encouraging smile.

"Oh right... um..." she said, trying to muster up another pool of bravery. None could be found though and she ended up staring silently at her hands as they trembled and twisted in her lap. She almost bolted in panic when his hand materialised on her cheek and gently tilted her face towards him. Slowly, cautiously, she met the stormy intensity that had flared in his eyes, and it suddenly became so easy.

"I love you." she said with a tone of quiet profundity. She lost herself in his gaze for long moments, watching as the last rays of sunlight played across his handsome face. He looked especially attractive when he wore a euphoric little smile. The greenhouse darkened as the sun dipped fully below the horizon and the spell was broken. She shook her head violently, dislodging his hand, and sighed immensely.

"I wanted to tell you, but I don't know what it means or if it makes a difference. I," she announced, "have issues!"

"Yes, I had noticed – I know several of them by name."

She frowned and chewed on her lower lip before verbalising the rest of her thoughts. "There are others. There are things you don't know about me, things I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about yet. I'm not very good with lo-lo... the 'L' word, it'll probably take me a long time to get used to it, if I ever can. I'm, well, I'm not normal in general and I'm certain I'd never make for a normal g-g-girlfriend."

"If you were normal, I don't think I'd like you quite so much." he said with a warm look then turned his face away. "Honestly, I'm much the same, but darker. I have my own secrets I'm not ready to share, things about me and my past that I'm frightened would make you run away from me if you knew."

"Maybe it's best to leave it at that then? I don't want to get hurt again, or hurt anyone I care about." she said sadly.

He chuckled and faced her. "I told you as Bo that I didn't want to have a relationship, and I meant it. I thought I'd been in love before and based on my feelings in the past I knew that I could control it and wouldn't be missing that much, but I hadn't and the real deal just isn't like that. Logic, caution and conscious choice just aren't factors. Neither of us is ready to give up all the dark secrets we're ashamed of all at once, but I want to be with you, support you and be supported by you. We can take it slowly, learn what we don't know about each other a little at a time and deal with whatever comes of it together. I trust you as well as love you, Kyoko; I know you've been hurt before and all I can do is swear that I'll do my best to make you happy for as long as you'll put up with me. I can't vow that I'll never hurt you, I wish I could, but I'll never do so on purpose or leave you no matter what happens. Can you promise me the same? Can you trust me?"

She watched in distracted awe as the fragrant bush of night-blooming Jasmine began to unfurl its pale yellow flowers, the heady scent washing over her almost like a drug. "Yes." she said softly after a long pause, surprising herself with her own answer. Somewhere deep in her heart she knew she had just agreed to more than just being able to trust him.

He expelled the breath he had apparently been holding for the length of her deliberation. "Then that's enough, it's all that matters." he said simply and reached out his hand to take hers, lacing their fingers together. He raised the knot of their joined digits to his lips and placed a soft, lingering kiss on the back of her hand. She flushed but didn't pull back.

"Will we have to tell everyone that we're..." Kyoko asked, waving her free hand around as she searched for an appropriate word.

"Dating? Going out? Together?" Ren supplied happily.

"Yes, that."

"No, I don't think it would be a good idea. Close friends and such will probably work it out for themselves, which is fine, but I think we should keep it secret otherwise at least until you're eighteen and your career is more established. And your current situation is resolved."

"Agreed."

His expression turned playful and she felt a prickle of wariness. "So, you're Bo and as such you know some of my embarrassing secrets about you. Fair's fair, tell me one of yours about me."

"Um... uh, I debauched you in my dreams once without your permission. Well, two or three times now." she mumbled the first thing that came to mind without thinking. She regretted it instantly, knowing she was blushing like an overripe strawberry.

He blinked at her, eyebrows rocketing into his hairline and she recoiled slightly as the Emperor of the Night made an appearance. "Really? Do tell."

"Er, well, I dreamt about that night you came to the Darumaya, only in my dream you k-kissed me."

"You clearly need lessons on debauchery, but that's a good start." he grinned then sobered as she nearly fell off the bench. He cleared his throat and a light smattering of pink stained his cheeks. "Well, we can get to that when you're ready and not before – I can wait as long as it takes for that aspect of a relationship. I give you fair warning I won't be able to resist teasing you at least if you tell me things like that though."

She nodded stiffly, and tried to get her left eye to stop twitching.

"I might be able to wait for that, but there is something I've wanted to do for a long time now. May I ask permission to kiss you?" he queried, already leaning towards her. "Bearing in mind I'm going to do it anyway if you don't protest." he added in a husky tone that sent her heart into overdrive. Frozen, she couldn't bring herself to give permission but she didn't protest either. As he drew closer she became increasing certain it was going to bust through her ribcage. She felt his breath caress her skin and her eyes began to close on their own at the electric sensation of his lips ghosting over hers.

A violent sneeze exploded through the greenhouse and they sprang apart just in time before a man with muddy knees and a trowel strode into view. Kyoko vaguely recognised him from her first visit to the hospital where he'd been arguing with a suited gentleman in the reception. He fixed them with a suspicious glare that had them both awkwardly shuffling to opposite ends of the bench with guilty expressions as he passed.

"We should probably get back to your room; that orderly will be checking in on you any minute." Ren said after he'd disappeared down one of the forks in the path. He helped her back into the wheelchair and pushed her towards the elevator, his lips constantly twitching into something soft and quietly blissful.

* * *

><p>Ren could tell he was going to have trouble keeping his face under control for some time to come as he wheeled Kyoko back into her room and gently scooped her up in his arms. He held her for a few seconds longer than necessary and tried to reign in his imagination as he laid her on the bed and it flew off in all sorts of fascinating directions. He got the idea he was going to have difficulties keeping that under control too from now on.<p>

"Thank you Tsuruga-san." she said as he slid his arms out from under her. Instead of stepping back he moved to lean over her face, bracing his weight on his elbow by her head.

"Ren. Please call me by my given name."

She reacted as though he'd just asked her to skin a live rabbit and he had to make an effort to keep a wry chuckle to himself.

"Okay... Ren." she said, catching him off-guard. It was strange, he mused as he closed the distance between them, how such a small act could send so many emotions and mad impulses crashing through his system.

This time it was Yashiro who interrupted them before he could claim her lips, and he couldn't quite stop all of his frustrated groan from escaping. He stepped back, knowing he was blushing but not as splendidly as Kyoko, and forced a smile to his face.

Yashiro stared at him open-mouthed then looked to Kyoko and back again. Ren braced himself but his manager said nothing. All he did was push his glasses up his nose and grin at him so manically Ren half expected him to ask 'why so serious?' at any minute. Somehow he found this more unnerving than anything verbal and cringed as he imagined the teasing he was in for as soon as Yashiro got him alone.

He didn't have long to wait for this as the orderly knocked and entered the room a heartbeat later and Yashiro dragged him off to the canteen he'd discovered to get some coffee while Kei re-wrapped Kyoko's knee and checked her other injuries. One of the conditions for him staying outside of visiting hours was that he didn't interfere with her treatment, but he intended to return long before the estimated twenty minutes was up. She wasn't alone, but he still didn't like leaving her for too long even if it was in the care of a hospital employee.

"So just how much fun did you have in the greenhouse?" Yashiro asked suggestively the moment the door closed behind them. Ren nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Excuse me?"

His manager rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean it like that. Clearly _**something**_ good happened, you're a fainting hazard to every woman in a two mile radius with a smile like that, but exactly how good? Did I just see what I thought I saw back there when it looked like you were about to kiss her? Did you confess – again – did she, are you going out now or is it like every other time and you're unreasonably happy over some tiny step forward?"

Ren couldn't help the way his mouth stretched into a wider smile. "We're together. Tentatively."

Yashiro clapped him on the back several times, each thump getting progressively harder. "Finally! Congratulations! I take it I won't need to call a press conference to announce your relationship straight away but I can begin planning it now. Then there's the announcement of your engagement, wedding, first born..."

Ren shook his head and for once allowed his manager's imagination to run wild, largely because he hoped in secret that one day such press conferences would need to be held. Yashiro was excitedly discussing possible baby names with himself when they reached the vending machine, but Ren was still in too good a mood to stop him. He planned to grab a coffee and head straight back down the ridiculously convoluted route to her room, and as such was irked to find a suited man already at the machine taking his time to choose.

He waited as patiently as possible for what seemed like hours, tuning out Yashiro's gushing babble, and frowned as the muddy-kneed gardener from the greenhouse walked up and appeared to push in front of them. Ren's internal outrage cleared when it became obvious he had no interest in coffee and wanted only to berate the suited gentleman.

"Another two gone!" he announced, causing the suit to sigh dramatically. "We need cameras down there!"

"It simply isn't reasonable to put a whole greenhouse under surveillance just because a few people pick the flowers. They probably give them to the patients they're visiting, and the garden is there for their benefit at the end of the day."

"Hah! Thieving scum's had half my daffodils, not to mention the baby's breath and lavender and they've made off with two more of my finest roses."

Yashiro fell silent and Ren's head snapped up.

"I tell you someone's been in my shed too."

This seemed to give the suit pause for thought. "Really? You keep weed killer in there, right? Nothing was taken was it?"

The gardener scowled. "Only a rat. I caught three of the beggars on the grounds but there were only two when I came to dispose of them."

"Honestly, you must be imagining things. Who on earth would steal a dead rat? It must have still been alive and run off somewhere. Now please, no more talk of rats in the canteen."

Ren tapped the gardener on the shoulder. "Excuse me. The roses, were they red and how many have gone missing over the last two weeks?"

"Oh, hello, it's Casanova. Yes, beautiful red _Rosa chinensis_, or China Rose, they were. Over the last two weeks there's been about fifteen blooms been stolen. Usually just one or two go at a time but the other day five went at once. Do you have an idea who's behind it?"

Ren shook his head. "Sorry, no. Actually I'd very much like to know myself."

He exchanged a worried look with Yashiro and they both left without bothering with the coffee.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Thank you everyone! I'm really glad you've enjoyed it so far and I hope you like this chapter too – this was another tricky one to write so please let me know what you think :) Not giving too much away, the stalker is someone mentioned in this story, who may be either a character I made up or from the manga – it's not Reino lol, I thought that would be too easy. Hehe Madoka is there to be disliked so feel free to throw things at her :)<p> 


	16. Identity Revealed

**Identity Revealed**

Kyoko tried not to whimper too much as Kei unwrapped the bandage on her knee. He worked slowly and gently but every slight jostle had her gripping the sheets tighter to keep from squirming.

"Sorry, I'm really too heavy-handed for this sort of thing." he said as she couldn't help but let part of a yelp escape. "I'm better with injections if that's any comfort."

"I have to have an injection?" she asked, horrified.

"Fraid so – you got all manner of cuts and scraps from that metal railing and the steps themselves. We can't find a record of you having a booster in the last five years so you get to have a tetanus shot just to be on the safe side."

Kyoko groaned and he misinterpreted the sound as another protest to his current activity. "Sorry. Spent three years at med school before I dropped out because refining my lack of finesse in this area was too much trouble. Well, that and I decided to get married. Considering how that turned out I wish I'd stuck with it – it's not possible for anything in this world to be more trouble than my ex with the possible exception of Madoka. I hope she's not the one Daichi's seeing."

She chuckled at the face he pulled. "That's who you're staying with at the moment isn't it?"

"Yep. An old friend from college – he went on to become a high flying doctor after I dropped out, though we kept in touch. Unfortunately by the time my ex threw me out and her father fired me, he was the only friend I had that wasn't one of those mutual friends who only put up with me because my wife was rich."

Kyoko appreciated the small talk that helped take her mind off the stabbing throbs from her leg though the subject made her uncomfortable. "It's lucky you had someone to turn to." she said, feeling a twinge of sadness as she remembered that she had not. It was short lived though, and she threw off the remnants of melancholy with such ease that it surprised her.

"He let me invade his perfectly tidy house and even got me a job here, bless him. As far as I know he hasn't dated anyone since I've known him – I get the idea he had a bad experience when he was younger – but lately I think there's someone in his life at last, but I just couldn't be happy for him if it turned out to be Madoka. I'm pretty sure he took her out the other night, but I hope it was just a one-off to keep her quiet."

"How's it looking?" she asked as the last of the bandage was removed.

Kei pursed his lips in thoughtful assessment. "Well he was in a foul mood all day before and after, so fingers crossed. Ah well, I suppose I should be happy for him either way and I really should start looking for a new place whatever comes of it. I can't mooch forever."

"Um... actually I meant my knee."

"Oh! Sorry, it's looking beautiful." he laughed and gently tapped her knee with his index finger, drawing a hiss from Kyoko. "Sorry. The swelling's going down nicely; plenty of rest and some ice and you'll be fine in no time. You'll be out of here tomorrow, no problem."

"Thank goodness. No offence but I don't like your hospital very much. Well, except for the garden." she said, blushing lightly.

"Lovely isn't it?" he said with an enthusiastic nod. "I'm going to take Atsuko down to see it tomorrow, I think she'll like it. Speaking of which, do you think you'd be able to stop in to see her before you leave?"

"I'd like that – I'll definitely stop in if I can."

"Thanks." he said, sending her a grateful smile before returning to her knee. "Now, I should stop babbling and get this rewrapped. My shift ends in twenty minutes and my superiors tend to frown on me leaving patients only half mummified. After that I just need to "

Kyoko grimaced at the idea and picked the roll of elasticated bandage off the tray he'd brought ready to hand it over to save time when he was finished with his inspection. "Do you have a class? Hiyama-san mentioned you were taking a course."

"No class for me today, but I need to practice at home for my next lesson. I was never really happy working in an office – I only did it because it got offered to me on a plate after I got married. Since the divorce I figured I'd try moving into something I actually want to do."

"I don't think Hiyama-san ever mentioned what course you're studying – is it to do with medicine?"

He flushed lightly and suddenly found the back wall fascinating. "No, actually it's a bit embarrassing. I always wanted to do it but it doesn't have great prospects and you have to have real talent to get anywhere. I thought I'd take the course to see if I had what it takes as a first step, if it's worth while pursuing it. So far it's looking pretty good I think."

"What are you studying?" she asked, smiling at the thought of someone realising their dream.

He flashed a broad grin. "An introduction to landscapes and oil painting."

Kyoko froze, her hands clasping together as her smile slowly fell away. Something cold and unpleasant slithered down her spine. She glanced back to the tray and eyed the syringes there with a newfound dread. Her mouth went dry and something told her she should not let him inject her. "Oil painting?"

"Yep, but please don't laugh." he said sheepishly.

She was nowhere close to laughing. A vision of the greenhouse garden and Watanabe-san shuffling down the hospital corridors flashed to the front of her mind, slotting nicely into place within the jigsaw puzzle. The picture was almost complete, and she didn't like it.

She hadn't seen a rose bush in the garden, but she was sure there must be one there. Madoka was a good friend of Hiyama, as well as an actress, and she had been shadowing the medical staff at the hospital for some time before Hiyama was attacked. She remembered Satoshi's words about friends letting things slip accidentally and entertained a dark suspicion that he had been right, though it was Madoka and not Mimori that had unwittingly betrayed her friend.

"Betsy and Bertha..." Kyoko murmured to herself in terrible realisation. Old Gen referred to the LME incinerator as Bertha and it would be impossible for anyone to get hold of his card from there, but what if he had pet names incinerators at his other workplaces too? What if Betsy was his affectionate reference to the one at the hospital and the inspector had indeed noted it down correctly? If he had actually lost his card here rather than LME as she had assumed then...

"Pardon?"

"Oh! Nothing!" she cried, trying to calm herself down. She remembered what the inspector had said about her stalker merging Natsu with someone else in an attempt to escape the trauma of reality after being hurt by the woman he loved. Kei had recently divorced, being left broke, homeless and jobless in the process, and while he seemed comfortable enough with the situation to joke about it, who knew what his real feelings were?

Uchinuma Kei was an oil painter with possible access to roses that still had their thorns and the LME janitor's pass card, showbiz connections and he had been utterly discarded by a woman he had loved enough to marry. And right now he was literally so close to her he could touch her. Was touching her. It was all she could do to contain a scream when he suddenly reached across her for the tray.

"Where did that bandage go? I'm sure it was here a minute ago..."

Kyoko realised it was still in her hand and shifted to hide it better, a panicky sort of plan forming in her mind. She was alone with him and god knew what in the syringe, so screaming was not an option. Ren wasn't here, but he wasn't far away. All she had to do was escape out of the room and find somewhere to hide long enough for him to come get her. "I haven't seen it." she lied, forcing her face into something unaffected and hoping she hadn't drained of colour too much for him to notice.

"Are you alright? You look pale." he asked, peering into her eyes and she summoned up every acting ability she had in order not to back away as he gently placed a hand on her forehead.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just my knee really hurts. I'm sure it'll be better once the bandage is back on." she said, willing her voice to stay level, and he seemed to accept the explanation.

"Darn." he frowned after a brief search of the bed and floor yielded no results. "I'll have to grab another roll. I'll be right back, try not to move while it's unwrapped, okay?"

She nodded. Her heart was pounding as she made herself wait a few seconds after he'd gone before grabbing her phone and jumping out of bed, wincing as she knocked most of the drinks cans Maria had brought her crashing to the floor. She limped towards the door, hissing around her ragged breathing, and opened it with trembling fingers. She stuck her head out into the corridor and drew back a little as she watched Kei's form retreat into a room to her left. Taking a deep breath she made an ungainly run for it in the opposite direction.

She hobbled around the first corner she came to and leaned against the wall for a moment to catch her breath. She looked around and thankfully found her planned hiding place a little further down the corridor – a ladies bathroom. Gritting her teeth, she resumed her cumbersome flight, bracing herself with one hand on the wall and using the other to operate her phone.

It was hard to coordinate, especially when anxiety made her even more clumsy, but eventually she scrolled to Ren's name and pushed the dial button. She brought the device to her ear then let out a frustrated growl as his voicemail message immediately played.

"Ren it's me, Kyoko, I think Kei might be the stalker so I distracted him and escaped. I went right and took the first left – I'm going to hide out in the ladies room there. I'll try Yashiro-san next and call the police from there. Please come find me when you get this. Please hurry."

She hung up and fumbled with her phone, after Yashiro this time, but before she could dial a hand descended on her shoulder and she gasped.

She whirled around, phone flying from her grasp, and would have toppled to the ground if not for a pair of arms reaching out to steady her.

"Mogami-san! What are you doing out here? You should be in bed." a familiar voice said as he helped her find her balance before stepping back with one hand remaining at her elbow to support her.

Kyoko nearly cried in relief. "Ikemura-sensei! I'm glad it's you. Please, I need to get to Tsuruga-san and call the police."

"What's going on?" he asked, blinking in confusion.

"Someone's been stalking me for the last week and a half, the same man who attacked Hiyama-san, and just now, well, I think it might be Uchinuma-san. I realised all the evidence points to him when he said he was taking an oil painting course."

"Now, slow down. That police inspector told me the basics of your situation when I took you on as a patient, but I can't believe Kei has anything to do with it. I've known him for years. You must be mistaken." he said kindly, though his smile faltered after a moment. "Although... no, I'm sure it's nothing. I think his recent personal problems hit him harder than he likes to let on, but that's only to be expected."

Kyoko shook her head and detailed the known facts about the stalker and Ikemura's face grew increasingly troubled as she explained.

"Kei does appear to fit." he said with a thoughtful frown. "I still can't believe it, but I think it would be a good idea to get this cleared up either way."

"Thank you. Would you mind passing me my phone please?"

A disapproving look crossed his features. "I don't like you the idea of you walking around like this. My office is just along this hallway so you can go there to make the necessary calls and take the strain off your knee."

She nodded, an office with a lock sounding much better to her than a bathroom stall. "I told Ren I'd be in the bathrooms so I'll need to let him know I'm going somewhere else, and I need to call the police. If you wouldn't mind handing me my phone I'd be very grateful – it's just down there but I don't think I could handle bending down just now."

"Really, you should sit down as soon as possible – don't worry, there's a phone in my office and I'll fetch Tsuruga-san while you rest. It's just down the hall a bit." he said and waved his free arm in an insistent gesture before sliding it in to his pocket.

"No, I wouldn't want to put you out like that. I just need my phone please." That same instinctive fear she had felt before when she had been unwittingly close to the stalker was starting to lace through her and she felt exposed and vulnerable even with Ikemura beside her. The corridor was deserted except for them and it made her stomach churn with unease. She just wanted to get out of the open.

His gentle grip on her elbow turned bruising and the hairs on her arms rose as gooseflesh erupted across every inch of her skin.

"Really, you should do as I say." he said, his voice lowering to a tone of oiled silk. "Just be a good girl Natsu."

He moved too quickly for her to react. His hand flew out of his pocket and she saw a fleeting glimpse of a syringe before she felt a pinprick in her shoulder and her vision started to blur. Her limbs were growing heavy fast and her voice had stopped working. In desperation she put all of her remaining strength into swinging her fist. She didn't feel her blow connect but a pained cry accompanied her into the cloying black of unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>A feeling of underlying trepidation had taken root in his gut from the moment Ren had learned where the roses had come from and it had done nothing but grow with every long stride he took as he made his way back to Kyoko. She should be fine, she was with the orderly, but still he couldn't help but worry and want to see her to set his mind at rest.<p>

Small tendrils of relief began to unfurl as he turned the last corner and covered the short distance left to her room, but it was short lived when he nearly collided with the orderly as he hurried out of the door.

"Have you seen her?" Kei asked as soon as he registered who he'd almost bumped into.

Ren's jaw tightened. "Isn't she in there?"

"No. I left her to get another bandage when the one I brought disappeared and when I got back she was gone. She shouldn't be walking around without her knee wrapped."

Ren strode past the orderly into the room. Looking around he saw her phone was missing from the bedside table and several drinks cans had been knocked off – it looked like she'd left in a hurry. Glancing up he stiffened. There was a vase of flowers, daffodils and lavender, on top of a cupboard set against the far wall which seemed to have been placed there by the hospital. Before the trip to the greenhouse he clearly remembered looking at it and wishing he'd been able to get something similar for Kyoko. It had definitely not contained a thorny red rose then.

He walked over to offending bloom, pulling it out and inspecting it before handing it to Yashiro. "Did she say anything before she left?"

"No, not really. She did seem upset though – right after I told her about my painting course." Kei said with an expression of concerned confusion.

Ren's head snapped up. "Painting? Oil painting?"

"Yes. Is that a crime? Mogami-san repeated it the same tone too. What's going on here?" he asked, annoyance beginning to creep into his voice.

"Didn't they tell you about the stalker?"

"No, what stalker?"

With effort Ren forced down the rising panic and silently sent Yashiro a heartfelt thank you as his manager explained the stalker situation with quick efficiency. Kei was pale by the end of it and licked his lips in agitation.

"No... it couldn't be. How long do the police think he's been following her?"

"Around two months, since the commercials for Box-R and then the series itself first aired." Yashiro replied.

"And these roses are his calling card? Oh crap, I thought he had a girlfriend."

"Who?" Ren asked, patience wearing thin.

Kei rubbed the back of his neck. "The guy I'm bunking in with at the moment, Ikemura Daichi. He's the one who's been stealing the roses from the garden – I've seen him with them once or twice. He's been sneaking out for last two months, I assumed he was dating someone and trying to keep it secret. I didn't say anything about the roses, I didn't want him to get in trouble and I was just happy he had a girlfriend at last. He's friendly with the creepy janitor, I often see them chatting together. But he's a nice guy, wouldn't hurt a fly. I've known him since college... I mean we were never really that close, just kept in touch and he was kinda my last resort when I needed somewhere to stay, but he's never been anything but kind."

"If he is the stalker then he brutally attacked Hiyama-san." Yashiro said and Kei flinched.

"But how would he know..." he said, frowning, then his eyes widened with sudden insight. "Madoka! She's been running after him like a dog in heat since she was here to shadow the medics. If he asked she'd sit, beg and rollover, let alone tell him where Atsuko would be. She's just daft enough to not figure out what happened too."

Ren's impatience got the better of him and he hurried to the door. Her phone was gone which inferred she had left on her own, probably believing Kei to be the stalker, and she couldn't have gotten far. He froze, swearing under his breath as he realised his mobile was still switched off from the greenhouse and yanked it out.

"She rang and left a message." he said, dialling his voicemail.

"I'll call Satoshi." Yashiro said as he hurried slid on a glove. "Uchinuma-san, please could you check the exits to make sure Ikemura hasn't left?"

Ren bolted as soon as Kyoko's message gave him a direction to run in. He heard Yashiro utter a startled sound and chase after him, catching up when he took the corner too fast and nearly fell over a nurse.

"Ren, wait!" Yashiro called just as he was about to dive into the ladies room he saw ahead. He looked back irritably, only to find his manager picking something pink off the floor as Kei stood next to him, just hanging up on a call. "It's her phone. Looks like she dropped it, the back's come off and the battery's fallen out."

"Daichi's car's still here and no one's seen him or Mogami-san leave." Kei reported. "His office is just down this corridor."

Ren took off again and found a door with the appropriate name plaque. It was locked and nothing stirred within even after he pounded his fist on the portal hard enough to make it rattle in its frame. Just as he was starting to doubt if anyone was inside the nurse he'd nearly crushed stormed up.

"What do you think you're doing?" she yelled in a shrill tone. "This is not the way to behave in a hospital! Knocking people over and now making such a commotion when a doctor has a patient with him, you ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Kei stepped forward, offering an apologetic look to the enraged woman. "Misa-san, sorry but it's kind of an emergency. Have you seen Daichi recently?"

"No, but the sign says 'engaged'." she fumed, pointing to a semi-circle of red above the door handle. "It's one of the new doors so it says 'away' if you lock from the outside with the key. He must have turned the bolt on the inside and he only does that during a private consultation. You've been here long enough to know that much at least, surely."

"So he's definitely in there?" Ren asked, backing up a few steps and fixing his eyes on the door rather than her.

The nurse nodded curtly and with a final disgusted look decided she wanted nothing more to do with them, walking off angrily just as Yashiro moved towards the group, tucking his phone back in his pocket.

"Inspector Satoshi's on his way – he said not to do anything stupid without backup."

Wood chips flew through the air accompanied by the crack of yielding pine as Ren charged and slammed his shoulder into the door with roughly the force of a stampeding rhino.

"Never mind." Yashiro said weakly as Ren kicked at what was left of the lock until the door swung open and they all piled into the office.

It was impossibly, ominously empty.

* * *

><p>Author's note: thank you very much for reading :) Please let me know what you think, I'm pretty nervous posting this after all the build up :S<p> 


	17. Raving

**Raving**

A silken ghost of a whisper tickled at the edge of her senses, teasing as she slowly inched closer to consciousness. The indistinct slither grew crisper as the blackness thinned and her mind groggily began to function again. The words the oily voice kept repeating in a soft, sing-song tone hit her ears like a chill winter breeze and sliced through her thoughts when she awoke enough to understand them.

"Natsu... Natsu... time to wake up Natsu, you're home. Natsu... Natsu..."

Her eyes flew open and she sucked in a breath, wincing as the harsh light of a naked bulb stabbed down into her pupils. She tried to move her arm to shade herself but it moved only a little before something brought it to a jerking halt. She seemed to be lying on her back on something that felt like the firm mattress of a hospital bed with some kind of restraint strapped around her wrists.

"That's it. Wakey-wakey, I didn't give you enough to knock you out for too long." he cooed and the light was blocked as leaned over her. She shuddered and recoiled into the pillow as he reached out to palm her left cheek. "There, perfect. Now, you know I like how feisty you are but that right hook of yours earlier was a bit much." he said sweetly before slapping her hard enough to snap her head sideways. "We're even now, so don't upset the score again okay? I wouldn't want to have to set it straight again."

Kyoko bit back a groan as coloured splodges danced across her vision and turned the best glare she could muster on him. It wasn't much, she was sure, but she wasn't going to just submit to whatever he had planned without a fight.

When her eyes began losing focus she broke the glare to blink back the dizziness and look around at her surroundings. A small, dank room without windows or any light source but the overhead bulb, constructed of smoothed stone blocks – somewhere underground, perhaps a basement or cellar. It was steeped in dust and spider webs. Her bed was in the centre, right under the light, and she could just make out a counter against the wall behind her and a table to her left. On her right was a tall cupboard with some folding chairs leant against it and straight ahead was a sturdy metal door. Its huge bolt was drawn but it looked so old and she was sure the lock must be rusted. "Where am I?"

"Home. Our special place." he said serenely. "The oldest and grimmest part of the hospital; the psych ward from the fifties where they used to do all sorts of horrendous things to people under the mistaken guise of helping them. It's been shut down for decades I'd guess, ever since it became embarrassing to admit they'd once lobotomised and run high voltage through the patients I imagine. It's pretty much soundproof, for... _obvious_ reasons. You liked it here though – you always said you felt happier here with me than anywhere else."

"I never said anything like that – I've never even met you before I came here to visit Hiyama-san." she ground out between teeth clenched half in panic and half in frustration.

"Ah, that must have been the other you then. It really doesn't matter though."

"Yes it does!" she snapped, pulling at her restraints. "Natsu is just a character I play, she's not a real person! My name is Mogami Kyoko and I have no connection to you whatsoever!"

He lunged forward, her head dropping as he slammed his fists into the pillow either side of her ears and thrust his anger-warped face into hers. "Don't say that! Don't EVER say that!" he screamed, spraying her with saliva in his fury. He took a few deep breaths and moved back, pulling up a chair and calmly taking a seat beside her. Her heart pounded against her ribcage and she watched him from the corner of her eye, barely daring to move. "You're just two people in one body. I'm the same, half the real me and half what father always wanted me to be. Respected, talented Ikemura-sensei, working hard to earn the admiration of my peers and help snivelling fools I'd really much rather hurt instead. I'm sure you feel the same."

"No, not really." Kyoko said quietly. She licked her lips and tried to think past the mind-numbing terror. Keep him talking, she decided, keep him talking as long as possible until Ren came for her or a chance to escape presented itself. "They'll notice I'm gone soon, they'll come looking for me."

"Most likely." he agreed with a dismissive wave of his arm. "It won't take long for them to find the back door in my office, god knows it isn't exactly a secret passageway, but I'm not sure if they'll ever find this old place. We'll be fine for quite a while yet. After long enough they'll figure I snuck out through a window or something and stop looking."

"Someone will have seen you."

"No they won't. They've been refurbishing this dump for years. They're half finished with the wing you were in and there's still all sorts of cordoned off areas between here and the third floor without people or cameras. One runs right behind where my new office is. I bribed the builders to leave the old door where it was – said I wanted to be able to get away without anyone knowing and they were only too happy to oblige for a six-pack and a packet of cigarettes. Of course, at the time I just wanted a way to sneak down here unnoticed, to our special place, and it was only later I ever thought to bring you here. Ah, it's quite a shame I had to reveal myself, but it's not a huge inconvenience. You were just too unpredictable."

"Sorry to disappoint you." she sneered and he broke into a low chuckle. The leather restraints weren't budging and they were too tight to slip free from.

"You haven't disappointed me at all, not since the moment I first saw you on television. I felt it then, but when I saw you at Jindai High I just knew it must be fate. That idiot Kei forgot to hand in the latest instalment for his little course so I had to take it in for him in the morning. Every damn time he forgets and causes me trouble. He really is a fool, but Ikemura Daichi had to take him in – he does things like that, the other me, rescuing lost kittens and taking in strays. I don't mind too much though, that time it worked out rather well since Natsu was there. You caught my attention on TV but seeing you in person was captivating. You were so much like her, so exactly like her, I knew she'd come back to me as Natsu. Seeing you there that day was fate, so I stayed until you left and followed. Once I started following you I couldn't stop until I knew everything about you."

His eyes softened and for a second he almost appeared to be the kind doctor she had originally thought him to be.

"You still surprised me though. Disappearing off into the distance on that bike of yours... some days I had to give up once I'd lost you, but I knew there was always tomorrow. I learned where you lived and worked on that first day so all I had to do was be patient. Old Gen was so helpful, too. Not realising when I stole his pass cards and telling me all about the happenings at LME. He even told me when the police found out about my disguised visits so I knew when to stop. He likes you, always talks about you with minimal persuasion. Lonely old fool. And that hideous woman, Madoka, she was useful too so I couldn't let her see the real me, but oh how I wanted to. Always pestering me, I about had it with her until I needed her to get to Hiyama. Then she came in handy again at TBM. I had to suffer taking her to dinner, but she was kind enough to get me a backstage visitors pass so I could meet her after her interview there the night you were dressing up in that demeaning costume. I had planned to leave you a rose then, but, well..."

"You decided a headless rat was just so much better?" she asked sarcastically, not wanting him to know exactly how helpless and afraid she felt.

His expression became contrite, almost boyish and she shuddered. "I already apologised about that, you're not still upset are you? I know I overreacted it's just I really couldn't stand the thought of you being with anyone else. I told you that before; that's when you said that if I sent you twelve thorny roses you'd be mine forever to reassure me. It would be our vow. I got to eight last time and I've given you eleven so far this time. I'd always planned to present the last one in person."

She sat up as far as she could. "Eleven? No, it's only ten, so that means you can't keep me here, right?"

"Nope. I left the eleventh in your room while you were visiting the greenhouse with... that man. It's a good thing I promised to trust you, or I'd be seriously concerned by him." he said, narrowing his eyes as his lip curled distastefully.

"It doesn't count if I didn't see it." she tried to reason, but he shook his head.

"Yes it does. It was delivered." he smiled then cut off any reply she might have made with a bark of laughter. "Good grief but you like to make things difficult though! If you'd just come down to meet me outside your apartment it would have been so much easier. By then I just couldn't be patient any more. I was furious when that fell apart, and after all the trouble I went to – first sneaking in to Hiyama's room to get your number, then picking that she-male's pocket for her phone, but you went and surprised me again! I was in a foul mood when I started my shift here that day, but then I heard you'd been admitted and it was like fate intervened to bring you to me. But it wasn't the first time, with all the other signs just knew I couldn't leave you alone the day you first came to the hospital to visit that harpy, even after what she'd said about you! I had to rush and get a rose ready so I nearly missed you. I just managed to make it into the elevator with you and put it in your bag without getting caught in the doors."

Kyoko vaguely remembered a short doctor scrambling to get into the lift with her and Kanae but she hadn't thought anything of it at the time or really even looked at him. An instinctive fear seemed to kick in the moment he was near and not hiding his true self, but not when his mask was in place. It was as though he were two different people. He stood up and she craned her neck to watch as he walked over to a dusty counter and lifted a picture frame, but she couldn't make out the photograph it contained.

"Haruka... my Haruka. She smoked behind the bike shed and brought beer to school in a cola bottle. She made the other girls cry, but they deserved it for being so unutterably dull. She was colour in a world of grey, thunder in a muted silence, intrigue in a sea of soul-sapping boredom. I loved her, she was everything I wanted to be. Free."

Kyoko swallowed hard. "Did she reject you?"

"NO! She loved me, said I was different to the other boys. I was special, I treated her how she wanted to be treated; just rough enough. We used to meet here, sneak in after dark through a broken window – I found this place when I was a child. After mother left, father used to bring me to the hospital on school holidays and just leave me alone in the tearoom when he came to work. I used to go exploring, even though it made him angry..."

He let out a furious bellow and slammed the picture frame back down.

"My father," he snarled, "was an old fashioned doctor who forced the responsibility of fulfilling his own failed dreams onto his son. He was an old fashioned man with old fashioned values regarding discipline and women. How mother suffered before she ran off and left me with him. I had no choice but to do as he said, be who he wanted me to be. It didn't bother me too much until I met her and I found out who I really was. She brought out my true self. When he found out about her, he called her a slut too, but she wasn't! She isn't!"

He wiped flecks of spittle from the corner of his mouth and turned contemplative.

"Hah, you know it's strange... all these years I've hated the man for how he was but now I understand. Hurting that Hiyama woman, hearing her cry and beg... it was so liberating, so satisfying. It was her own fault anyway, she never should have said that about Natsu. Don't worry, I'll do the same to that other witch who nearly killed you too. You can't imagine how angry I was when I found out she'd been here to see you and I'd just missed her. A perfect opportunity wasted, and I don't have a way to readily get at her."

Kyoko realised he couldn't ever have been to her school in person and felt a brief flare of relief for Mimori's sake. She had graver concerns though for it to be much more than a fleeting pin-prick of light amid the darkness. She had never allowed herself to think too much on the specifics of what 'having her' entailed, and right now she was sure she'd fall apart if she considered it. Instead she forced herself to speak, ask him questions and keep him talking long enough to think of some plan to get away. "What happened to Haruka?"

"Haruka..." he breathed the name and smiled gently. "She taught me things, how to pick pockets and break in to cars and houses. We stole a car one night but it went off the road. I got out but she was trapped. There was a fire... you know, cars don't blow up when they catch on fire like they do in the movies. They just burn. I... I watched her burn... the smell made me throw up and the way she screamed... my god, the way she screamed..." he trailed off, face screwing up with agony. "I called father and he came, but he just left her there. Forced me to go home with him and left her... she wasn't screaming any more but I knew she couldn't be dead. He lied to the police when they came, protected the family reputation. I knew I just had to wait, be patient and do whatever he said until she came back to me. He practically kept me prisoner for four years until he thought I'd given up, become his idea of normal again. He sent me off to medical school and I pretended, I knew I just had to be patient and keep playing my role until she came back and we could be together again. And then you appeared. Haruka became Natsu – 'spring' became 'summer'."

"I'm sorry for what happened to her." Kyoko said, trying to make her voice soothing. "But it all happened before you went to college – surely you can see how she can't be me? I'm only seventeen."

"Of course." he said, reclaiming the chair beside her and for a moment she felt a spark of hope. But then she met his eyes and saw the mad gleam. "You don't look anything like her really, not physically, but Natsu is exactly like her, mind and soul."

He sighed and gave her the sort of look she'd seen parents give tiresome children. "Now, I'm bored with talking to you Mogami-san. I want to speak to Natsu. She'll understand."

Kyoko licked her lips and bit back her initial response; he had not responded well to her saying Natsu wasn't real last time, but maybe she could use his delusions to her advantage. "Okay, but you'll have to untie me first. Natsu wouldn't be happy in such an undignified position, would she?"

His eyes narrowed then flicked away. "No, she wouldn't." he said grudgingly and reached out to undo the restraints. "With your knee and concussion you're chances are not good if you run, Kyoko. I have a scalpel in my pocket and I'll use it if you try." he said in the tone of one absently remarking on the weather. "Nothing that'll scar my beautiful Natsu of course, but I know how to make you bleat in agony without leaving a single lasting mark."

Her mouth became too dry to vocalise words so she nodded. He stepped back and she rubbed her wrists a moment then slid her legs over the side of the bed. Hissing and wincing, she slowly shifted her body until she was standing on her own. She tested her knee and came to the conclusion it could hold all her weight without buckling, but not for long.

"If you're done bellyaching I'd like to see Natsu now." he said, tapping his fingers on his thigh.

Kyoko closed her eyes and looked within for Natsu's character. She couldn't allow herself to immerse fully though, the horrible truth was that Natsu would probably find the doctor and his insanity quite appealing. She just hoped she could pull off the deception and keep herself anchored in reality. Her eyes opened and a cruel smile tugged at her lips.

"Natsu." He said her name with a desperate reverence.

She brushed a lock of hair out of her face with an elegant swish of her hand. "Hello Daichi." she crooned, cocking her hip and wagging a finger to stop his sudden forward lunge. "Uh-uh, don't you have something for me first?"

"Yes of course, my apologies I got carried away." he said and hurried back to the table with the photograph. He picked up the thorny rose next to it and approached her, holding it out like an offering to a deity. "For you, the last one. Finally."

She took the rose graciously and brought it to her face, inhaling the sweet scent. "Lovely."

"It's perfect for you." he said, reaching out to take her hand in his and raising it to his lips. She fought back the revulsion as his lips brushed her knuckles and had to clamp her throat down on a half-formed scream as he suddenly pulled her into a crushing embrace. "Haruka..."

His voice hitched and sounded so plaintively close to tears that she almost felt a twinge of pity for him. She lifted her hands to rest on his shoulders, letting the rose drop to the floor. "You know someone once told me something that's so fitting for this situation I just have to pass it on." she cooed, taking half a step back with her good leg.

His chest rumbled with a contented laugh as he leant down to kiss her temple. "Oh? What's that?"

She clawed her fingers into the material of his coat, feeling her biceps burn as she braced as much of her weight on her arms as possible and brought her good knee straight up violently between his legs. "Kick 'em where it hurts and run!" she yelled over her shoulder though her words were drowned in his high-pitched howl – she was already lumbering towards the door before he crumpled, fighting down the tears of pain that her action had set welling in her eyes and the stabbing throb of her knee as she moved.

Her hands shook but with adrenaline fuelled terror also came a single-minded concentration that allowed her unbolt the door, yank it open and fling herself through it without fumbling. The corridor she found herself in was much the same stone-walled style as the room and cluttered with the skeletal remains of ancient hospital furnishings. Through the gloom she could make out a staircase spiralling upwards at the other end and headed for it as quickly as her injured knee would allow after grabbing a rusty metal bar from the carcass of an old trolley.

She was halfway up the torturous climb when a bellow of rage froze the blood in her veins and the clamorous report of the metal door being thrown open propelled her upwards with still greater haste.

* * *

><p>Author's note: thank you for reading everyone :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was fun as well as disturbing to try and write a raving lunatic.<p> 


	18. Finale

**Finale**

Adrenaline was pumping through her system and that was the only reason Kyoko made it to the top of the spiral staircase before Ikemura caught up. She lashed out blindly with her pipe behind her, a wild sense of panic ripping at her insides and she felt him draw closer. A grunt, followed by a crashing sound told she had hit her target, but she didn't stop to inspect the success of her strike – that would mean pausing.

She ran as best she could, gritting her teeth against the knot of searing pain that her knee had become, and forced the joint to work as though it were not injured. A weak ambient light permeated the pitch darkness, lifting it to a murky sort of dust-filled gloom that allowed her to make out vague, looming shapes and avoid bumping into things. It flooded everywhere she could see in a thin layer, making it impossible to discern its source beyond somewhere distant.

She bolted through a doorway that had long since lost its door and round a corner; her only thought was to run, to get away. The corridor walls were still bare stone here, one level up from the dungeon of the former psychiatric ward, but the floors were tiled and not quite so littered with ancient medical debris. She managed to keep her balance, catching a foot occasionally but not enough to send her tumbling to the ground in the dim hallway.

She didn't know if it was her imagination, had no time to check, but it felt as though he was right there behind her, quickly closing in, and she was sure she could hear the rasping of his angry breath, feel it scratching at the back of her neck. She forced her legs to move faster until her lungs felt a moment from bursting and her knee screamed in protest.

Suddenly a staircase materialised out of the gloom and she wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. It was a straight staircase set against the far stone wall, slightly more modern than the previous one and promised access to the newer parts of the hospital but she didn't know if her knee would let her ascend quicker than him.

She had no choice and roaring with the effort she used her good leg to launch herself as far up as possible to give herself a better chance of keeping ahead of the lunatic chasing her. She charged upwards, taking the steps two at a time when she wasn't using her injured limb to push off with, until she neared the top and despair made her heart clench for a beat.

There was nothing beyond the stairs; they simply went all the way up to the ceiling and stopped. She only realised the trapdoor was there when she was directly underneath it. Relief coursed through her and frantically she pushed up with her hands, unable to keep a soft cry from escaping as the extra weight nearly made her knee buckle. The wooden portal split down the middle, the two halves opening outwards and she scrambled through as soon as it was wide enough.

She whirled and slammed them closed behind her. Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she tried to thread the pipe through the handles, panic rising with every shaking clumsiness. She slid it home just as the doors bucked upwards, and for a moment she met his eyes through the gap.

She swallowed hard as the trapdoor sunk back down, becoming harmless for a moment before bucking again and dragging a shriek from her. The handles where old, both the metal they were made of and the screws holding them in place were rusted, and the pipe was not a perfect fit. They wouldn't hold for long. She turned and fled.

She was back in the hospital proper now, albeit in one of the sealed off areas – there was no more bare stone and the apparent storeroom the trapdoor had released her into was old and clearly disused but by years rather than decades. She made her lumbering way towards the door, wincing as she navigated boxes and free-standing shelves, until she was out into the hallway beyond and slamming the door behind her.

Her limp worsened as her adrenaline reserves ran low and forcing her body to move became harder and harder with each torturous step. Her breathing was fast and shallow from a combination of exertion, pain and fear and a light-headed dizziness assaulted her. She shook her head to clear it, only achieving partial success and hobbled down the corridor.

The overhead lights were on making it so much brighter that her eyes squinted after the darkness of the lower levels and allowed her to easily spot a modern stairwell. It seemed very far away but the sounds of the trapdoor starting to yield drove her on and she hurried past the various building materials that lurked at the edges of the corridor.

A crack of sundering wood turned her blood to ice-water in her veins and the sound of him thrashing through the store room attacked her ears.

She ran.

About ten feet from the stairwell, he caught her. What little breath she had left was driven from her as he tackled her from behind and she fell forwards to the ground. Her fingers clawed at the lino-covered floor, her shoes squeaking obscenely as she tried to gain purchase with her toes and free herself from the weight of his body pressing down on her.

He shifted, swearing at her, and she screamed as something sliced through the flesh of her left shoulder. It ripped though the muscle and scraped her collarbone as it tore an exit from behind.

"Just the right spot. Won't cause lasting damage, but hurts like hell doesn't it Natsu?" he snarled from somewhere above. She heard his words but terror made her brain unable to interpret them correctly. She even fancied she could her Ren calling her name from somewhere far away.

Her groping fingers touched something with a wooden handle and she grabbed it. Anchoring herself with her feet, she forced her body to twist, hissing as her hip-bone ground against the floor. She smashed whatever it was into the side of his head and watched mesmerised as he instantly collapsed sideways without a sound.

It had been a small mallet, she noted absently as she lifted the tool up to her face. She stared first at the fresh red splotches on her new weapon then at his still form in a daze before scrambling back to her feet and limping away as quickly as she could once her mind caught up with the situation. She sent a silent thank you to whatever builder had been lazy enough to leave their tools lying around and then thanked her lucky stars her hand hadn't closed around the roll of bubble wrap instead.

Her shoulder throbbed and oozed blood as she clutched at it with her right hand, barely able to grip the mallet in her left, and her knee had definitely not enjoyed the encounter either. Even her good leg trembled ominously, protesting the additional strain of supporting her practically on its own.

Every movement drew a hiss and the stairs had her whimpering softly. Halfway up she stopped and blinked as she heard her name echoing from above. There was no mistaking it this time, Ren's voice was real and she felt tears of overwhelming relief prickling in her eyes. With the relief came the bone-deep exhaustion of pushing her injured body too far beyond its limits for too long.

"Ren! Down here, down the stairs!" she yelled hoarsely then let out a soft moan as her legs finally buckled and she slid down the wall. Her vision started to darken around the edges and she felt the now familiar sensation of falling into unconsciousness. She sighed, hoping this would be the last time she passed out in some way for a while – after all, she'd experienced more than her fair share of blackouts in one form or another over the last twenty hours. Ren's blurry face appeared in her line of vision and she just managed a weak smile before collapsing into his arms.

* * *

><p>Ren was used to associating profound frustration with Kyoko, but usually the feeling was not accompanied by quite such acute worry as well. He was restless and impatient, and had long since abandoned the guise of indifferent politeness he normally assumed. Kyoko was in danger, her stalker had her and his limbs shook with the need to find her. The police and everything else, however, seemed determined to thwart his every attempt at haste.<p>

Inspector Satoshi had arrived at Ikemura's office shortly after Ren had broken down the door, claiming to have had a bad feeling so he hadn't gone far when he left earlier. He had discovered the hidden exit to the room behind a bookcase within minutes due the a few scrape marks on the floor and Ren had felt a surge of self-directed anger that he had not noticed them himself.

Kei had explained the refurbishment when the abandoned corridor had been discovered beyond, and Ren had felt his throat constrict as he saw the full extent of the situation. The cordoned off area was not massive, but it was large enough that it would take time to fully search. There were two more floors above and two below of similar size.

Ren had thrust a hand through his hair, helplessness eating at him as he tried to think which direction the doctor could have taken her. Up or down? Down was the sensible answer if he was aiming for escape but what if Ikemura knew this and went up instead? The man had struck him as sensible and intelligent and it had been a shock to find out he was the stalker – a person of questionable sanity by all accounts. A madman capable of rational thought was a horrifying prospect.

A troop of uniformed officers had turned up and Satoshi had led half of them up to begin the search from the top down while the other half were sent with Kei to cover the few known places where the areas under refurbishment connected directly with the main hospital. With all the exits to the building also covered, there was no choice but to begin a methodical search. Ren, and subsequently Yashiro, had joined them, glaring any officer that tried to tell him to wait quietly somewhere like a good little civilian into silent submission.

Ren had been powerless to control his clenching jaw when Satoshi had told him his grim reason for starting at the top rather than the bottom, and decided he never wanted to hear a sentence involving Kyoko, jumping and forced suicide pacts ever again. The two officers sent to investigate the roof and the ground so far below it had thankfully reported nothing. The relief this news had brought did little against the sea of worry raging through him, and it only grew more vast with every empty room they looked in.

Every moment wasted on the necessary search was another moment Kyoko was who knew where with a mad doctor doing who knew what to her. His hands clenched into fists at his sides and he could almost feel his brows meeting in what must be a terrible scowl. If he hurt her...

Worry and rage fermented in his chest into a potent mix which added a touch of overflowing violence to his movements. By the time they had worked their way back down to the third floor he was in such a frenzied state of taut emotion that even Yashiro seemed nervous around him.

A faint scream echoed out from a stairwell and his heart stopped for two full beats before thundering back into life. He called out her name and sprinted towards the scream, pausing impatiently when he reached the stairs to listen for any indication of which direction it had come from. Muffled sounds bubbled up from below and he dove down, completely ignoring the police as they followed.

He yelled her name again as he reached the next floor down, looking up and down the corridor desperately for any indication of whether she was here somewhere behind a nearby door or further down.

"Ren! Down here, down the stairs!"

He exhaled shakily and plunged down the next set of steps as her voice washed over his senses. He would have felt soothed if not for her croaky tone and the sight of blood when he finally found her caused his breath to hitch painfully in his throat until he realised it wasn't too serious a cut. It was nasty enough though he thought after gently pulling a mallet from her hand and performing a brief inspection to ensure moving her wouldn't do more harm than good. Seeking medical attention was his priority as several officers rushed past him, calling an all clear as they spread out at the bottom of the stairs. He left finding the stalker to them for now as he hoisted Kyoko's limp form up and hurried back up the stairs.

Yashiro met him at the top, rapidly moving to follow as Ren didn't stop on the second floor. "Is she alright?" he panted as they both ascended back to the third floor.

"I think so, but she needs a doctor." he said as he crested the top step and turned for the hidden door that led back into Ikemura's office and the main part of the hospital. "Preferably a sane one." he added, glancing back to give Yashiro a wry look.

No further conversation was possible as three noteworthy events suddenly occurred in a very short space of time. Firstly his Managers eyes widened to impossible proportions as his gaze flicked towards the stairway to the fourth floor, the mouth of which they were just passing, and his face visibly paled. Secondly, a familiar warning knot formed in his gut, an instinctive reaction to impending danger that Ren had developed over the many fights he had been in during the dark days of his youth. Lastly, Yashiro shoved him in the back of his shoulder blades before he had a chance to fully grasp what was happening.

It was no gentle push and he stumbled forward, nearly tripping over his own feet in the effort to keep his balance without flinging Kyoko over his head. He managed to right himself and whirl just in time to see Yashiro raise his arms defensively as someone in a white coat spotted with streaks of dust and blood charged down the stairs at him, slashing down with something that glinted in the overhead lights.

He dropped Kyoko as gently as possible and lunged at the doctor, but Ikemura saw him coming and leapt out of the way as Yashiro fell back, clutching his right forearm where the scalpel had cut through his suit and skin.

They locked eyes for a moment, each assessing the other like two wild animals about to duel. Ikemura looked the part with his usually immaculate appearance reduced to unkempt hair and tattered, stained clothing.

Ikemura moved first, stabbing at him with the glinting blade and Ren avoided the strike fluidly, catching his wrist as it sailed past and twisting it in such a way that the doctor yelped and dropped his weapon. He slammed his fist into Ikemura's jaw, sending the smaller man careening to the ground. A little smile tugged at his lips as Ren allowed the darker parts of him to drift closer to the surface. The parts of him that could fight a scalpel-wielding stalker on equal terms and protect the people he cared about. The parts of him that enjoyed the primitive collision of bone on bone.

He didn't think Ikemura would get up from the blow, not many did when he hit them with all his strength, and so wariness crept into his stance as the doctor rolled straight back to his feet. They circled each other cautiously, moving steadily down the corridor, until Ikemura let out a silky laugh and they both froze.

"Quite a right hook you have there." he sneered and paused to spit a mixture of red-tinged phlegm and a tooth chip on the floor. "One thing father taught me though was how to take a hit."

The doctor attacked again, this time with his fists and Ren was taken aback at the ferocity Ikemura was able to unleash. He managed to block, but his arms stung in a way they had never done before from taking the brunt of the doctor's fury. He saw an opening and spun, raising his foot to hammer his heel into Ikemura's temple with a satisfying impact that floored the doctor for a second time. Ren backed up a step, closer to the wide boarded up doorway he now found himself in front of and waited to see if his opponent would stay down this time.

Ikemura was slower to regain his feet this time and then for a moment lucidity forced back the mad sheen in his eyes and he simply stared at Ren with a look of quiet contemplation.

"I knew you were someone to look out for when I first laid eyes on you. I could tell you were just like me, hiding your true ugliness beneath a mask of social acceptability." he said philosophically and Ren flinched. "I guess that's why I tried to avoid taking you on – I knew it would come to this. But I can't let you have her. I just can't. I really can't stand the thought of you holding her in your arms."

"I won't let you hurt her."

Madness clouded his eyes, swallowing the last remnants of sanity and he giggled hysterically. "I'd never hurt her – well, not anything permanent anyway. No, it's you I need to get rid of, even if I have to go with you."

The sound of his name spoken softly in Kyoko's voice distracted him for a second, drawing his attention from his opponent and Ikemura took advantage. He charged so suddenly and with such a blood-curdling yell that Ren was left momentarily disoriented and unable to dodge before the shorter man tackled him with an unexpected strength.

He lost his footing and his breath was driven from his lungs as his back met the wall behind. The sound of snapping wood told him he had just crashed through the boarded up doorway rather than a wall, and the way his stomach suddenly flip-flopped when he should have slammed into floor but instead just kept on falling told him it was no ordinary doorway.

Instinct took over as he found himself plummeting through the darkness of an elevator shaft and he frantically scrabbled to find some kind of purchase. His hand grasped something and his fall was halted with an abruptness that very nearly wrenched his shoulder from its socket, especially with the added weight of Ikemura still clutching his abdomen in a bone-rending hug.

Ren barely comprehended he had grasped the rung of a ladder and obtained a foothold before Ikemura shifted his body up then allowed himself to drop in an attempt to yank them both back into free fall. It almost worked, but Ren was able to hang on and even get a better grip under the demented assault.

"Fall... fall... fall..." Ikemura chanted, grinning and wild-eyed, until Ren freed his right hand and drove his fist into the doctor's face. It took six piston blows before he finally went limp and Ren just managed to grab hold of him before he fell.

He stared down hatefully at the unconscious man, the urge to simply let go welling up to the point that his fingers began loosening. No one would ever know if he let him fall. Some unknown light source allowed him to see the bottom of the shaft far enough below that he was fairly sure a landing would be fatal.

"REN!" Kyoko's voice echoed down the shaft and he looked up to find her silhouette in the doorway some way above. "Ren! Are you alright?"

His fingers tightened. "I'm fine." he called and began the tricky business of shunting Ikemura's unconscious form into a position where he could climb back up. "And I'm not the same as you." he added quietly.

By the time he'd made it back up to the third floor there were a gang of hands to help him and his passenger out of the shaft. Satoshi and his uniformed minions carried the doctor off though Ren didn't care where to as long as it was away from him and especially Kyoko. He looked around and quickly located her and Yashiro by the opposite wall; both were bloodied and Kyoko was leaning all her weight on her good leg.

"Thank you for what you did back there. Are you alright?" he asked his manager as he approached, tearing his eyes from Kyoko's down-cast head for a moment.

"You're welcome, and yes, I think I'll pull through but I'm not sure my favourite suit will make a full recovery. Either way we could probably both do with some stitches." Yashiro said mournfully. "What about you? That was quite a performance."

Ren nodded though he eyed the silent, motionless Kyoko with concern. "My arm's going to be sore for a while and I have all sorts of splinters but otherwise I'm alright. We should all probably get some medical attention."

Kyoko flinched but didn't raise her head. "Are you really okay?" she asked in a soft, trembling voice. "When I saw you fall I thought..." she trailed off into a shudder.

"I'm fine. I'm glad you're safe." he said simply, smiling as he reached out to tilt her head up. Tear tracks carved a path through the dust on her face and he brushed at them absently with his thumb, enjoying the feel of her skin as he let himself get lost in her eyes. He didn't trust himself to further verbalise his current feelings, wasn't sure he could if he tried, but he hoped she would understand. Yashiro certainly understood if his suggestive cough and vanishing act were anything to go by.

Left practically alone, her eyes flicked away and she cleared her throat. They met his gaze again, now holding a measure of uncertainty as she bit her lip. "R-Ren... um... well..." she cut off abruptly, gesticulating hands stilling into balled fists at her sides, and took what he could only describe as a deep breath of fortitude. Then she frowned mightily, sending him such a ferocious glare he almost backed up a step. "I apologise in advance!" she announced, leaving him stunned before she suddenly grabbed his shirtfront and yanked his face down so that his mouth smashed into hers.

For three full seconds he froze, blinking stupidly, until it filtered through his scrambled brain that she was kissing him. A rough kiss, unrefined and inexperienced, but that didn't seem to matter. His eyes fell closed as his insides sizzled and his body responded without conscious thought.

The splinters were forgotten and the dull ache in his shoulder faded completely; his entire world shrank to include only her. The feel of her arms sliding around his neck, fingers threading into his hair, and the warmth of her body as he held her. The feel of her lips as they moved against his, learning quickly, and the intoxicating thrill of those lips parting in a soft, helpless moan.

He drew back reluctantly as her moan turned into a yip of pain but couldn't resist claiming her lips just once more in a fleeting butterfly kiss. He scooped her up princess-style and turned to carry her back to the main part of the hospital, unable to quite control the dreamy grin he was surely wearing or indeed muster up enough concern to really care.

* * *

><p>Author's note: my apologies for how long this took to post – I had a horrible week at work and no chance to do anything fun :( I hope you enjoy the last chapter before the epilogue – it's kind of sad to write the ending lol. Thank you very much to everyone for reading and reviewing, I very much appreciate it :D<p> 


	19. Future

**Future**

It was truly amazing, Kyoko mused as she reclined on the hospital bed in her private room, just how much better one could feel with a change of clothes, a cursory wash-up and a few bandages applied by even a somewhat heavy-handed professional. The fact that the raving lunatic who had been actively stalking her for the last two weeks and passively following her long before that was now in police custody also had more than a little to do with her current state of general contentment.

This state was in no way down to drugs; Kyoko had politely refused all pharmaceutical offerings on the basis the pain really wasn't too bad and they would probably make her drowsy. After being knocked out three times in a relatively short period of time she had absolutely no interest in entering an unconscious state again until she'd made it to a bed that didn't have tilt controls at the very least, never mind it was now well into the early hours of the morning.

Ren was also a major contributing factor to her good mood, though was also the primary source of her underlying nerves. She had heard the term butterflies in the tummy before but that hardly seemed adequate to describe the feeling she got whenever their eyes met. It felt more like she'd swallowed a flock of starlings.

He hadn't left her alone for longer than it took her to change into something less grimy and splash some water on her face despite the danger having passed, and even then he'd stood guard right outside the door. He hadn't been pushy, giving her space, but he had made it silently clear that he was there, nearby, and would be staying for the foreseeable future both in her hospital room and in her life.

The doctor who had come to give her a final check over once Kei was finished pronounced her fit to go home and the starlings took flight as he left and Ren moved to hold her hand. It was a casually tender gesture and she fought to keep herself from reacting abnormally. The whole physical contact thing would definitely take some getting used to, most especially because against all odds she found herself rather liking the feel of his touch. It not only undermined her entire life philosophy but also multiplied her standard embarrassment by roughly a thousand.

This was definitely something more complicated and mature than any emotion she had experienced before and it mortified her that she actually felt something like desire for a man. Not quite enough to keep her from savouring the memory of what she resolutely classified as her first kiss, just that she blushed hotly enough to fear igniting the gauze on her cheek even as a bolt of electrified pleasure shot up and down her spine.

She still couldn't believe she had initiated the kiss, but at the time it had seemed the only thing to do. Finding out he was fine after seeing his disappear down an elevator shaft had been completely overwhelming and had given her an indisputable insight into her own feelings. For a moment she had truly thought he might be gone forever, and for that moment her heart had ceased to beat. Seeing him climb back up had been like breaking the surface after too long underwater and inhaling a desperately needed lungful of air.

The idea of keeping herself from falling in love with him through sheer willpower now seemed laughable, it just wasn't something she could consciously control and she really had no choice in the matter. She could survive without him, she had been doing it for some time, but in order to live and not merely exist she needed him. Their first kiss had been like seeing colour television after being used to monochrome – once she knew the difference, what she had been missing, there was just no going back and no way she could imagine fully enjoying her life without Ren in it.

She was frightened and uncertain, completely inexperienced and naive, but she trusted him and could only take a deep breath before plunging into the uncharted seas at the edge of her known world. Here there be dragons, but maybe they wouldn't be so scary and insurmountable if Ren and everyone else she had come to love and trust was there with her. Unable to meet his gaze she shyly squeezed his hand and knew he must have smiled one of his killer smiles as the ambient light in the room seemed to double.

Despite her internal resolutions, she still nearly jumped out of bed when a knock sounded a few seconds before the door opened to admit a vaguely dreamy Yashiro. Ren had loudly commended his manager for his brave heroism within earshot of a hoard of nubile young nurses, and they had instantly descended on the hero with hearts in their eyes, Yashiro spluttering and blushing awkwardly under their adoration. Kyoko was still trying to decide if this had been Ren's idea of a reward or torture and whether she ought to feel sorry for him or not.

"Are you alright?" she settled on finally.

"Hmm? Oh yes, fine – just a few stitches and a bit of bandage." he said, seeming to shake off his trance-like haze. "What about you? Will they let you go home?"

Kyoko smiled and nodded. "Yes, Satoshi-san asked me to wait for him to stop in but they say I managed not to do any permanent damage to my knee, it'll just take longer to heal now, and the rest are just bumps and bruises that'll heal on their own before long. They said my concussion looks to be completely cleared and since I've been here almost twenty-four hours anyway I can go when I like."

Yashiro frowned thoughtfully. "So, where exactly is home for you now? Will you go back to the Darumaya now that the stalker's been caught?"

"No... no I don't think so. I don't expect another stalker or anything but I can't help but think about how vulnerable it is to live in a public restaurant now. Since it was on the news everyone knows I lived there too. I'm not sure I could feel safe there again and I'd never forgive myself if Okami-san and Taisho-san were put in danger because of me. I'll still help them out when I can, but I don't think I could live there now. I spoke with the president and for the moment I'm going to stay with Sai – I'll think about where to go from there."

"You could always move in with-"

"The president suggested maybe she could look into sharing an apartment with Kotonami-san or Amamiya-san so that's also an option." Ren said forcefully, cutting off his grinning manager.

"Ah, that's exactly what I was going to suggest." Yashiro said, his grin not wavering despite being on the receiving end of a gentlemanly smile.

"How intuitive of you." Ren said sweetly and for once Kyoko sort of understood the undertones of their banter. She was extremely glad when the inspector stuck his head in the room and she was distracted before her face could light up like a Belisha beacon.

"Inspector Satoshi-san!" she cried, ushering him in to take a seat.

"Mogami-san." he greeted her while nodding quickly to Ren and Yashiro. He noticed her hand joined with Ren's and raised a brow. "Huh. Good job you didn't turn out to be the culprit." he commented absently.

Ren blinked. "Did you suspect me?"

"Of course, but don't take it personally. I make it a point to suspect everyone until they're proven innocent, and you certainly fit tall and well-built." he said plainly with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Not that the description turned out to be remotely accurate – hardly surprising given it was provided by the stalker himself."

"Did you suspect me too?" Yashiro asked, adjusting his glasses uncomfortably.

"Yes. Anyway, Ikemura confessed to stalking and kidnapping you as well as assaulting Hiyama-san and to the murder of his father in the last of his lucid moments."

"He murdered his father?" Kyoko asked, wide eyed, and felt Ren squeeze her hand tighter.

"Seems the old man had a heart attack two years ago and Ikemura deliberately withheld his heart pills and watched him die. Not too high on the outright brutality scale, but still pretty gruesome nonetheless. He just started telling me his life story when he woke up, and kept ping-ponging between kind, gentle doctor and barking mad lunatic. They're taking him for psychological assessment now he's awake and treated – I'm not an expert but from the way he deteriorated during our little chat I don't think any of his offences will come to trial, though wherever he ends up I don't think they'll ever let him out again."

Kyoko looked down at her lap, surprised to find herself feeling pity for the man. "How did he get above us and avoid being caught? That's been bothering me." she asked, focusing on something which caused fewer conflicting emotions.

"He knew the hospital too well. From what he said, he regained consciousness after you brained him with a mallet just in time to hear Tsuruga-san calling for you. He immediately doubled back and went past the stairwell through the rooms where we couldn't see him and came out opposite the elevator shaft. It's not boarded up on the ground floor so he was able to get in and climb up the ladder. The fourth floor was the first one that had a way to exit so he came out there and took the stairs down where he ran into you. That floor had planks, a few of which he or someone else had previously removed, while the first and second floors had sheets of plywood which are harder to get through."

Ren grimaced and shifted in his chair, rolling his shoulders. "I can vouch for that."

"Exactly. That also means he knew the shaft was there and was deliberately trying to kill you." Satoshi said grimly, effectively throwing the conversation into an uneasy stall. He checked a few details with Kyoko before he stood to leave then paused and reached out impulsively to ruffle her hair. "Take care Mogami-san, I hope we don't meet again." he said with a wry smile before disappearing through the door.

Almost as soon as he left, another knock sounded and Hiyama entered the room in a wheelchair with Kei at the helm.

"Kyoko!" she shrieked, mindless of the way she nearly ran Yashiro over. "Crap, I'm glad you're alright. You are alright aren't you? Kei told me what he knows and I just can't believe it!" she said, shuddering so hard the wheelchair trembled with her. "Ikemura-sensei... crap."

Kyoko assured her she was fine and filled her in on exactly what had happened. At the end of the account her eyes turned cold and her mouth set in a thin line. "That bastard. You should have dropped him down the shaft when you had the chance." she said hatefully.

Ren flinched slightly before recovering his perfect composure, though Hiyama didn't seem to notice as she huffed as large a sigh as her healing ribs would allow.

"Still, locked up forever is an okay alternative I guess. It gives me the creeps to think he was treating me for the very injuries he gave me. Ugh! I'll never trust another doctor ever again." she said, regaining a little humour.

Kei let out a chuckle that sounded a bit forced. "Orderlies are okay though, right?"

"We'll see." she said teasingly then cleared her throat with a blush. They chatted for a few minutes more with the mood steadily improving until Hiyama announced that Kyoko should escape while she could and go home. She and Kei bid them farewell as he wheeled her out and Kyoko promised to visit her when they were both able to walk under their own power again.

With nothing further keeping them, Kyoko fumbled her arms into the crutches the hospital had lent her and insisted on making her own way down to Ren's car. She sighed happily as she watched the building grow smaller in the rear view mirror, glad to be rid of the place and hoping she never had cause to return.

* * *

><p>The starlings were in full flight as she came to an ungainly halt outside Sai's door after they'd dropped Yashiro off and Ren had driven her home. There was just this air of expectation as they both stood in the corridor facing each other that put her into a state of nervous high alert. She fidgeted, which was harder than one might think when you were also trying to coordinate a pair of crutches and keep your balance to avoid doing something hideously embarrassing like falling flat on your arse.<p>

"Yashiro managed to clear my schedule until tomorrow evening." he said as the silence was beginning to teeter on the brink of unbearable and she almost squeaked in surprise. "I think we could both do with a shower and some rest right now, but after that I'd like to spend some time with you if you feel up to it?"

She glanced away shyly for a moment before mustering up enough courage to look him in the eye. "I'd like that." she said softly.

He smiled one of his rare, true smiles that crinkled the corners of his eyes and made him even more handsome than usual. "Good. I'd like to take you out, but I'd prefer our first proper date to be crutch and bandage free." he said with a hint of boyish embarrassment. "Would you join me for dinner in my apartment instead?"

It was strange, she mused as a light flush warmed her cheeks, how different the idea of dinner in his apartment seemed now they were, well, what they were. "Yes, thank you."

"Would eight o'clock be alright? I'll order something in."

Her hand shot up so fast at the idea she almost dropped a crutch. "That's okay, I can cook-"

Her cut her off by taking her flailing hand in his and drawing circles over her skin with his thumb. "I have to admit I like your food better than anyone else's but please let me organise things tonight. I don't want you to think I'm only interested in your culinary talents, impressive as they may be." he said playfully but with an underlying seriousness that acted as a soothing balm to a couple of her deeper seated insecurities.

"I know. That sounds good, but you have to at least let me pay half." she said sternly, somehow managing not to cause either of them a crutch-related injury as she vigorously patted herself down for cash. She found an adequate amount of notes and held them out to him, remaining firm as he made no move to take the money and instead eyed her outstretched hand in a manner that suggested she had just offered him a particularly large and hairy spider.

"Tonight is my treat. You deserve it after everything you've been through."

"Please, I insist." she said, hoping he'd give in quickly as her arm was getting tired.

"No, I claim boyfriend's prerogative." he announced, smiling wickedly. She was going to protest further, really she was, but he leaned down before she could utter a word and kissed her in such a slow, burning way that her body melted and her brain quite forgot how to process anything that wasn't related to the sizzling sensations from her lips.

By the time her mind had rebooted, she realised she was a few steps inside Sai's apartment with the worried owner waving a hand in front of her face asking if anyone was home.

"Hmm? Oh yes, sorry, I'm fine." she said distractedly then blinked and raised her hand only to find all the bills still in her possession. "Hey, wait a minute!"

Somehow Kyoko had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time he used such underhanded tactics, and resolved to build up an immunity to his charms. Thinking about what this might entail made her blush and she concentrated on greeting Sai properly instead. Mercifully, the woman didn't hug her but fussed over her from a respectable distance instead.

Once she'd soaked in the luxurious bubble bath Sai insisted on running for her, she retired to the spare room to call Kanae after confirming the hour had approached reasonable. The conversation was long and wildly varied in pitch and volume throughout. Her best friend displayed a sympathy and protectiveness that surprised her through the more unpleasant parts and she became sarcastically supportive when the subject turned to Ren.

It was at times like these that Kyoko truly valued Kanae's ruthless practicality and amazing memory, and felt eternally grateful she really wasn't the type to squeal like the girls in her class. She helped Kyoko pick out the most perfect outfit she owned over the phone – something nicely in the middle of the four cardinal points of mature, cutesy, casual and dressy, and something that wouldn't make her crutches even more awkward or have her living in terror of something hiking up.

When she hung up she was able to climb into bed safe in the knowledge she had decided on clothing and exactly what shades and quantity of makeup she should apply for her first 'relationship dinner'. As she set her alarm and pulled the covers up to her chin she didn't really spare a thought as to what anyone else might be doing in that same instant.

She never imagined that Ren was hunting his apartment for the white tablecloth and fancy candlesticks he was sure he had somewhere, the notepad leaf on which he had scribbled a checklist for the perfect romantic dinner held between his teeth as he used both hands to plunge into cupboards he didn't even know he had. Next on his list was obtaining flowers – obviously red roses were out of the question and had put a lot of thought into what he should get instead. He paused in his labour a moment to shake his head fondly as he realised never once in his life had he ever gone to so much trouble for a girl, but then Kyoko was no ordinary girl.

Elsewhere, Kanae was in a odd triple-state of alternate sulking, smiling and scowling as she wished her friend happiness, worried about becoming less important to her and contemplated exactly what she'd do to Japan's most popular actor if he ever broke her heart.

Back at the hospital Kyoko hoped never to revisit, Hiyama Atsuko handed a key to Kei with a blush that did nothing but grow when he thanked her with a kiss on the cheek. They guessed at where Madoka could be at the moment – waiting to board or already in the air – as on hearing that her beloved Ikemura-sensei was actually a brutal psychopath she'd sworn loudly down the phone and initiated 'plan B' as she called it, which involved accepting a two-week old marriage proposal from a visiting plastic surgeon and immediately leaving for the airport to join the new love of her life in California. This had given rise to vacancy at Hiyama's place that Kei was more than happy to fill. Hiyama found her loss tolerable as despite having lived together for three years they had never really been close friends, and while she actually thought of the ditzy woman with some measure of fondness she vowed then and there that she would not be the one to break the news of her elopement to the director of 'Emergency Room'.

Yashiro sat in his living room, going through his eight voicemails each from a different and highly desirable young nurse who was convinced he was some sort of knight in shining armour and growing paler by the second. He swallowed, wondering how on earth he'd managed to end up a bigger playboy than his client. He never thought any of them would call him socially when they'd asked for his business card, let alone all eight. Usually girls only wanted to get closer to Ren or use him to get into show business when they asked for his number. He was so used to just giving his card out to keep the peace at the time then lecturing them properly or simply ignoring them later if they rang that he'd handed them out as an automatic reaction. Now all eight seemed to think they were going out with him. He had no idea what to do, nothing like this had ever befallen him before, and the only thing he was certain of about the situation was that his mother would definitely not approve.

The director of Box-R grinned into the phone receiver as the voice on the other end agreed his idea was good and he could proceed with the plan. His idea to have Natsu leave the show temporarily on holiday allowed two things to happen. Firstly it gave the young actress his superiors had been pestering him to incorporate somehow a chance to play the main villain for a couple of weeks with the tasty scenario of a dramatic showdown finale when Natsu returned to claim back her position of undisputed leader. Secondly, it presented the opportunity of a 'Natsu Special' which would chronicle her holiday mischief, something he had wanted to do since the character had proved so popular. The news that Kyoko would be unable to film for three weeks had almost given him palpitations at first, but once he'd thought about it and strategized, the situation had worked out surprisingly well.

Ikemura smiled as he stared up at the ceiling, calmly embracing the light-headedness he was experiencing. It wouldn't be much longer until he was free and he looked forward to the moment of his release. The staff here at whatever psychiatric facility they'd taken him to were truly moronic – he was a doctor himself, he knew every trick and obtaining the metal clip from a pen lid proved no more difficult than smuggling it into his room had. He had no intention of staying here. He'd been caged for most of his life, and refused to passively remain in any sort of cell. His senses were fading and so he was easily able to ignore the turmoil of rushing feet and alarms that barely touched his inner serenity in the first place. The world grew dark and quiet, tasteless and numb and without scent. His last thoughts were of Haruka, and he hoped that whatever happened to him after his heart gave up trying to pump blood around his body that was now more outside him than in, wherever he ended up, that they could be together again. Metal clips from pen lids were more useful than most people thought. They made for serviceable lock-picks, and if one was determined enough they could even be used to slash wrists.

Blissfully unaware of any of these happenings, Kyoko snuggled deeper under the covers of her bed. She thought of the conflicts in her personal life that were yet to be resolved and the goals she had yet to reach only briefly before she closed her eyes. She decided she would deal with whatever trials lay in her future when they came up and felt a thrill at the prospect that she wouldn't have to face them alone. The thought of sharing a meal with Ren for the first time as his girlfriend, even though the status was covert, sent a shiver of nervous anticipation through her and she drifted into sleep with a contented smile gracing her lips, looking forward to the future and whatever it held in store.

The last two weeks had been a raging storm of emotions and self-discovery, not to mention vital realisations. She had friends and she had found true love. Lunatic medical stalkers and twisted knees not withstanding, it hadn't been such a bad result in all.

**The End**

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><p>Author's note: phew! It's both a relief and a little sad for me to say that it's finished. I've really had fun writing this and had a chance to try out loads of different things from horror to humour to romance and suspense. I hope you enjoyed this last chapter and thank you very much everyone for reading :)<p> 


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